A Traitor in our Midst
by littleblackcatty
Summary: What if there was a traitor in the Company of Thorin Oakenshield? A prompt from my best friend. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Well yay, I have another story to share with you all.**

**To all my lovely readers, it does not mean that I have stopped my other fanfic, this is just a sort of "second option" when I'm sick of typing my other fanfic.**

**I...rather like this one. So I hope you will too!**

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Bilbo hoisted his backpack on his shoulders and turned around to have a look at Rivendell one last time. Unlike the others, Bilbo was actually going to miss this beautiful place. It was evident when Bilbo came back from the gathering about Thorin's map, and saw that the others had brutally destroyed the beautifully carved elven furniture around them, and were in the process of roasting a couple of sausages they probably stole. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bifur flashing a quick glance over his shoulder, before he hastily moved on. He even missed the food! Yes, they may have been a bunch of random vegetables, but Bilbo ate everything. _Another reason why the dwarves didn't enjoy their stay._

Now here they were, sneaking out of Rivendell at the crack of dawn with no provisions, no advice and _no Gandalf_. Yes, Thorin had made the decision to leave him behind, whilst he was at the meeting with Elrond.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up."

Bilbo whipped his head around to see Thorin staring down at him, leaning on his axe. His face was clear of expression as Bilbo trudged by him and into the hidden pass they entered through.

"Mr Boggins!" Kili came up on his left. "Glad we left this place, no?"

"Forgive my brother." Fili came up on his right. "He is insensitive to other's feelings." He leaned behind Bilbo to whisper in Kili's ear. He stared at Bilbo with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Bilbo. I thought you didn't like it there. And sorry for calling you 'Boggins'."

"It's okay." Even though Fili and Kili were around 30 years older than him, he knew they had the immaturity level of a tween.

"So anyway," Fili changed the subject. "What do you think about the decision leaving Gandalf?"

"Well, he's off his trotter anyway." The trio turned around to see Bofur grinning at them. "He was mad, bringing the whole Company here. Thorin detests the sight even of something _made_ by the elves."

"Then," Bilbo dropped his voice to a whisper. "What's with the sword?"

Bofur shook his head. "That's a mystery we'll never solve."

They made their way out of the rocky passage and continued along the plains. There was a strong wind that was blowing as they hiked; a particularly strong gust sent Bombur crashing into Nori, Gloin, Kili and Bofur, who was struggling to keep his balance, heft his mattock on his shoulder as he walked and use his other hand to hold his precious hat in place. They made a pile some metres away from where they were a few seconds ago. They scrambled to their feet.

"Hey! Watch my hat!" Bofur snatched it away from where Kili was about to step. He jammed it firmly on his head and ran to catch up with the others.

After walking for what seemed like a decade, the finally stopped. They had trekked across the plains and covered a bit of ground in the forest they were in now. Thorin was now setting up camp in a small clearing closed off by overgrown bushes and leafy trees. The sun was just setting through the trees, and the sky was a light pink, like the flowers in the Shire.

"Oin!" he shouted. "Check for injuries." The grey-haired dwarf flipped open his satchel and started to inspect Ori, who sat down and let himself be checked over.

"Gloin! Light a fire!"

"Aye, Thorin." Gloin started rummaging through his pockets for his trusty tinderbox.

"Bifur! Bombur! When Gloin is done, I want you to start cooking a stew. And Fili, Kili, start hunting for game. Balin, Dwalin, come with me. The rest of you, start setting up. We head north east," he pointed to some mountains, faintly outline in the distance. "We will arrive at the Misty Mountains in a few days' time." Thorin retreated to the edge of the campsite with Balin and Dwalin, as the others started doing the jobs they were assigned.

"Bilbo!"

Kili was waving his bow at him. "Come join us!" Fili was checking that his knives were still in his boots. He turned to stare at Kili as Bilbo picked his way among the scurrying dwarves to join them.

"Kili that's a bad idea." he said through gritted teeth. "Not that," Fili turned to Bilbo and spoke in a polite tone. "We don't like you; it's just that you don't really have the…experience…that we do in terms of hunting."

"It's fine." Bilbo knew he had the experience of a speck of dust (none) on hunting, but he did feel a little crushed at Fili mentioning it. Kili noticed this, and tugged on his brother's sleeve.

"C'mon Fee." he said, "Bilbo will be stuck here with _Thorin_. He's going to be bored." When Fili opened his mouth to object, Kili said. "There are _plenty_ of dwarves setting up the camp. Plus, I think this would be a good experience, _and_ we can teach him some sword skills."

Fili sighed, "Fine. Come on Bilbo. We might as well bring _Ori_ along too."

"Good idea. Ori!" Kili cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted at Ori, who was sorting the bedrolls. At the mention of his name, he looked up eagerly and spotted the dwarf.

"D'you want to come with us?" Ori quickly nodded, and grabbed his slingshot. As he made his way to them, Dori shot a disapproving glance their way, but did nothing to stop them as they headed deeper into the forest.

"So you should grip the sword like that. Watch me do it…see! You can do it!"

Fili, Kili, Bilbo and Ori's hunt was successful. Fili and Kili had managed to trap and shoot two and a couple of rabbits, as Ori and Bilbo skilfully stayed hidden in the bushes. Yes, Bilbo may have disrupted a would-be catch or two, but they didn't mind. Now, Fili and Kili were helping Bilbo and Ori with their chosen weapon. Fili was assigned to help Bilbo with his newly acquired sword, while Kili went to practise with Ori on their shooting skills. So far, Bilbo had learnt how to grip the sword in the right way. Fili was patient as he guided him.

"So swing the sword like…this. Keep the weight of your body on the balls of your feet. Remember, if you know you can't hit your opponent, don't waste energy trying to hit him. Here," Fili stood away from Bilbo and held his sword up. "Try hitting this sword."

Bilbo swung at it, but Fili shook his head. "Try hitting it harder." Bilbo hit it again.

"Harder!" Bilbo put all the strength he could muster into his sword arm, and swung again.

"Good! I think that's enough for today. It's getting late. Kili!" The brown haired dwarf burst from the bushes, his bow hanging loosely from his hand. Ori followed closely behind, clutching his slingshot and a few rocks. "We should start heading back."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Kili tipped his head upwards. A few stars were already twinkling in the sky. "Let's go then."

When they arrived back at the campsite, Bombur was boiling some water over a roaring fire, while some of the other dwarves were retelling stories, braiding each other's hair or doing both. Bilbo and Ori left Fili and Kili to deposit the catches, while they dropped in to listen to the story that was being told at the moment.

"…So I met this lass in Ered Luin called Alffinna." Gloin was saying. "A real cheeky one, with a fine beard. I met her in pub, where she was working as the landlady. I told she was the most beautiful dwarf I had ever seen." He stared wistfully into the distance. "We came to see each other a couple o' times after that, and I asked to court her. We go' married, and had our boy, Gimli."

"And I dropped him on his head at birth." Oin added in. There was a roar of laughter across the campsite. Even Thorin managed a small smile when he said it.

"So, ummm…what does she look like?" Bilbo asked tentatively.

"Aye, a beauty lad. Here," Gloin took off the locket he was wearing around his neck and unclasped it. There was a painting of him, a dwarf woman with dark brown hair and a very impressive beard, and a dwarrows that looked a lot like Gloin. Bilbo guessed this to be Gimli, his son.

"Remarkable beard, your wife has." he commented.

"Almost as remarkable as mine." There was another roar of laughter as Gloin clasped the locket back together and put it back around his neck. Suddenly, Bombur shouted.

"Dinner is served!" Nori immediately grabbed some bowls and began throwing them to the others. Some whizzed dangerously past Bilbo's head. He only just managed to grab his bowl by the fingertips. The dwarves all hurried to form a line behind Bombur, who was giving everyone a generous portion of "rabbit soup".

One thing that Bilbo had to overcome on this journey was the lack of meals. In the Shire, Bilbo was used to having meals such as second breakfast, elevenses, afternoon tea and supper as well as third or fourth helpings at breakfast, lunch and dinner. On this journey, he was lucky to have even _breakfast_. When it was his turn to be given the soup, he shovelled it up, and patted his stomach.

"We have tons of rabbit soup tonight." Kili sat down, gently blowing on the soup.

"Yeah, you can have second helpings if you want." Fili sat down next to Kili, already tucking into the soup.

"Nah, got to lose a bit of weight!" Bilbo patted his stomach again.

Kili shrugged, "If you say so."

They continued talking and laughing, until the moon had risen up in the sky, and Dori had told them to shut up for the thirtieth time.

The shadowy shape crouched down at the base of the rocks. A tall figure looked down on it, an expression of distaste on his face.

"My lord," the shadowy shape said, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "We have left Rivendell, and we make for the Misty Mountains."

"And why should I believe this piece of information?" asked the tall figure.

"Do you doubt my loyalty to you?" the shadowy shape said in mock surprise. "_I_ am one of Thorin's most trusted! Even he said so!"

The tall figure turned to face the moon. Its rays showed the crisscrossed scars on his chest and shone on his mace. He looked down upon it, remembering when he had to plunge its point into the bleeding stump of his arm that was cut off. That _Thorin _had cut off.

"I will avenge you." he growled softly. "I will cut his head off and kill whoever opposes me."

The figure at the base of the stones shifted uneasily. "And what would you like me to do, my lord?"

Azog the Defiler smiled. "Start off small. Turn the Company on each other. Make them suspicious. Then I will take my revenge."

The traitor stood up, bowed, and snuck back to the camp, where the sun's first light was creeping over the trees.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome! And yes, Azog likes to talk to his mace.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews! I love how you're just trying to guess who the traitor's going to be. I can't guarantee :)**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

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Bilbo woke up to the sound of arguing. He could see blurry figures confronting one another, and shouting at each other. He rubbed his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"Good morning Bilbo." Fili sat down next to his blanket. "What's going on? Stuff's gone missing. Everyone has something that has disappeared, and they're blaming one another. Lost a few knives myself! Don't worry, I have more anyway. You better check to see if you've lost anything." He left to continue searching for his knives.

Bilbo scrambled out from underneath his blankets and rummaged through his bag. He sighed in frustration- he had a couple of his handkerchiefs stolen. _Well, at least it wasn't something I actually needed._ He stood up and hurried over to where most of the shouting was occurring. There was a particularly heated argument between Bofur and Nori, who were circling each other like hungry wolves, as the others watched. The normally cheerful dwarf had an expression of fury on his face, and he was waving his arms about quite manically. Bilbo also noticed he didn't have his hat.

"Where's my hat, thief!?" he was shouting. Bilbo had never seen him looked so deranged.

"I don't know!" Nori was shouting back. "Honestly, I swear!"

"I hope this doesn't turn into a fight." Kili approached Bilbo. "I hate taking sides. Plus, Bofur and Nori have been best friends since they were dwarrows."

"Bofur must be pretty mad then." Bilbo remarked.

"Yeah. Like I said, I hope they don't fi- oh no." Bofur had knocked Nori to the ground, and they were tussling in the dirt. They were cursing each other in Khuzdul, the secret language of the dwarves.

"Nori says he hasn't taken anything from anyone." Kili translated. "Apparently, he's had something stolen too- his fleshing knives!"

"And we all know how fond he is of them." Fili spoke from behind Bilbo. He stood next to him and surveyed the fight with a thoughtful look on his face. "But...we all know how fond Bofur is of his hat."

"Very." Kili whispered. "Apparently, there's a rumour he doesn't take it off even to wash it."

"Oh, of course that's not true." Bilbo said. "So who's lost what?"

"Okay," Fili began counting the dwarves off his fingers. "So Gloin's lost his tinderbox, Oin's lost a couple of his herbs, I've lost some knives, Kili lost some of his arrows and his knife, Bofur and Nori you know, Dori lost his hand mirror yeah, vain, I know ummm… Bifur lost a knife, Bombur lost a spoon and his pot, Balin lost _his viola_, Dwalin lost his knuckledusters and Thorin his pipe. That's everyone right?"

"You forgot Ori. Apparently," Kili dropped his voice to a whisper. "He lost his sketchbook."

Bilbo looked at him with shock. "No way."

Suddenly, the crowd of dwarves parted. Dori and Bombur marched their way through and grabbed hold of the fighting dwarves.

"Just let me at him." Bofur was struggling to get out of Bombur's grip.

"I told you! I didn't take your hat, or anyone else's stuff!" Nori was trying to wriggle away from Dori. "We're best friends! Why would I steal from you? Or anyone else!?"

"Because you have a reputation for being a thief." Thorin's words silenced the crowd. They all turned to look at him, as he continued speaking. "Fighting won't recover the missing items. We need to take the path to the Misty Mountains. Time is running out, and Durin's Day will soon be upon us." The dwarves murmured amongst themselves, and found themselves nodding. The crowd disbanded, and the dwarves grabbed their rucksacks. Gloin extinguished the dying flames from the fire, and scattered the embers everywhere. With one last scan of the campsite, they left and continued on their journey.

"So who do you think stole the stuff?"

The Company were passing under a huge waterfall that streamed down from a tall cliff. Fili and Kili were on Bilbo's left and right sides. He sneaked a glance at the dwarves, to see if any of them were looking guilty or suspicious. _So far, none._ Bilbo shook his head.

"No one except Nori looks like the culprit."

Kili shrugged. "That's just because Nori is used to lying and stealing. He could steal the shirt off your back if he wanted to. But this time, he actually looks genuinely upset about the whole thing."

"If you haven't noticed, he's walking alone." Fili pointed at him. Nori had his head down, and was staring dejectedly at the ground. He looked rather lonely, without Bofur by his side. He was walking with Bombur, and looked over his shoulder to give the occasional glare.

"I think it's because everyone thinks he's the thief." Bilbo pointed out. "Who doesn't? All the evidence points to him."

"I don't" said a quiet voice. They turned around to see Ori, who was looking more sad than usual.

"Why don't you?" Fili asked gently.

Ori furrowed his brow. "Because he's my brother. He'd never steal my sketchbook- he's lived long enough with me to know that. Plus, if he did steal the things, he would've returned them by now. It could actually be someone else, you know, from outside the Company."

Kili snapped his fingers. "That's it! Someone's tailing us, and wreaking havoc between us while we sleep. We should tell Thorin."

Fili was voted to go to the front of the line and tell him. From the back of the long procession of dwarves, they could see them talking. Fili was using his hands a lot and looking urgent, as Thorin listened with a troubled expression. They exchanged a few words, and Fili raced back to them, his eyes bright.

"He's going to mention it when we stop." he panted. "That'll take the blame off Nori, and dampen any suspicion in the Company."

"I'm very grateful. Thanks." Ori rushed off to tell Nori the good news. Bilbo hoped this would work.

The sun was coming down when they stopped. This time, they went into a small cave, which had enough room for everyone to sleep, as well as move around. Thorin gathered everyone for a small announcement.

"As we have been walking, I have noticed many of you avoiding Nori." He pointedly looked at Bofur, before continuing. "I myself, and a few others believe it is not he who stole the missing objects. Fili boldly approached me today, and spoke his mind. Not only has he believed it is not Nori, he also believes it is not anyone standing here today. I chose each and every one of you to come on this quest with me, because you showed loyalty. Loyalty for a place you have never seen before, and loyalty to me. You showed courage and a willing heart. Courage and a willing heart to accompany me on this quest, even though you knew of the risk. I would give you a knife, and expose my back, knowing you would never stab me in the back. Knowing you would never betray me. We all need friends in these hard times. Just don't ignore the ones you already have."

This lengthy speech brought a round of applause around the whole company.

"Moving speech." Kili wiped some fake tears from his eyes. "So beautiful."

"Now for some music!" Thorin roared, and they all heartily laughed. As the dwarves went to their bags to grab their instruments, Bilbo saw Bofur hesitantly approaching Nori as he searched through his bag. They spoke a little bit, and Bofur threw his arms around Nori and hugged him. They grinned and went back to getting their instruments.

Oin took out his tinderbox and lit a fire. The dwarves gathered around it, holding their instruments. Bilbo sat next to Balin and Thorin, who were resting on the ground, watching the dwarves. Bofur started to play a jaunty tune on his flute, and the others joined in, playing along.

"They make that all up, you know."

Bilbo was startled to hear Thorin talking to him. He was tapping his foot to the tune.

"Really?" Bilbo tried to concentrate on the conversation and the music.

"Never heard the same tune twice." he replied.

"So where's your instrument?" Bilbo tried to sound polite.

"My instrument is in my home in Ered Luin."

"And what is it?"

"A golden harp." Looking at Bilbo's expression of wonder, he continued. "It was given to me as a 12th birthday from my grandfather, Thrain. It was one of the only possessions that were saved from the dragon fire. To carry on this birthday tradition, I presented fiddles to Fili and Kili on their 12th birthday. Fili always eyed the stores whenever we went to the market." He laughed. "And of course, Kili always wanted to be like his big brother. I hope they will pass on instruments to their children when they are 12."

"So do you have any other family? Other than Fili and Kili."

Suddenly, Thorin stood up. Without answering Bilbo's question, he stalked over to the other side of the campsite and sat in the shadows.

"Don't mind him laddie." Balin had been watching the dwarves play their instruments with a wistful expression on his face, but he began talking to Bilbo as soon as Thorin had left. "Thorin's a bit touchy on family."

"Why?"

"Do you remember when I told you about the Battle of Azanulbizar?"

"Yes."

"It was a terrible day that was." Balin shook his head, lost in the memories. "So much death and destruction was dealt, on both sides. I had lost my father. Thorin, however, had lost his grandfather, his father and his little brother, Frerin. He was 45, about the equivalent of 18 years for you."

"That's horrible." Bilbo shuddered.

"His mother died of grief a few years later. Thorin has only his nephews, and the woman who bore them."

"Thorin has a sister?"

"Yes. Her name is Dis. Looks just like her brother, and just as proud. Well, laddie." Balin stood up. "It was nice having a chat with you." The elderly dwarf walked over to his resting place. Bilbo just realised that the music had stopped, and everyone was packing up their instruments. He went over to Fili and Kili.

"That was great playing! I didn't know you could play like that!"

"Bilbo," Kili said uncertainly. "We did it at your house."

"But I was feeling annoyed then. I hated it when you dwarves were blunting my cutlery and throwing my pots around!"

Fili and Kili briefly exchanged a glance.

"Blunt the knives bend the forks." Kili sang.

"Not again!" Bilbo cried.

"Smash the bottles and burn the corks!" Fili shouted gleefully. The song was taken up by the other dwarves, and Bofur got out his flute and started playing again. Instead of throwing plates around though, they danced. Bilbo just had to sit down and shut up until the song was over.

"THAT'S WHAT BILBO BAGGINS HATES!" They bellowed, and they all started laughing, like they did at Bag End. Thorin stood up.

"Well, what a pleasant night it's been." he said. "Dwalin, you take the watch tonight. Check for that thief. And I want everyone straight to bed. I mean _everyone_." He narrowed his eyes at Fili and Kili, before settling down onto his blanket.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome! **

**I slightly teared up at the end of the chapter, and hopefully you should know why (if you don't know what's going to happen at the end of The Hobbit, I suggest reading the book. It's very good, and interesting.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**So you might've noticed that I deleted THAUS from my profile. For two reasons:**

**1-I thought it was getting a bit boring**

**2- I didn't like it myself**

**However, it means I can update this more quickly, since I only have one story to work on!**

**Enjoy! XD**

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Bilbo woke up to the sound of birds. It was still night, but he was too awake to get back to sleep. He opened his mouth in a yawn and stretched his arms. He looked around to see that everyone was still asleep, except Thorin and Dwalin. They were on the edge of the campsite, talking quietly. Dwalin was waving his arms about, looking angry as Thorin nodded every now and then, a worried expression on his face. Bilbo picked his way through the sea of slumbering bodies and approached. He heard snippets of their soft conversation as he got closer.

"…I was awake all night, I swear!" Dwalin was whispering.

"Then how could the thief manage to steal the rations?" Thorin was musing to himself.

"Uh, what rations?" Bilbo asked loudly. Thorin and Dwalin jumped.

"Shhhhhhhh!" Thorin shushed him. "It's a secret!"

"We don't want to make the others panic," Dwalin hissed.

"Wait, what? We don't have rations," Bilbo felt confused.

"Well…" Thorin shifted uncomfortably. Bilbo had never seen him look so uncomfortable. "We do. It was a secret."

"Trusted only to _certain_ members of the Company." Dwalin added in.

"And who is that?" Bilbo crossed his arms.

"Everyone except you."

"Everyone exce-what!?"

"We thought it was for the best." Thorin held his hands up.

"What was for the best?" Gloin walked over to them, his arms stretched out in front of him.

"Nothing, Gloin." Thorin straightened as Bilbo and Dwalin tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Suits me." He blearily rubbed his eyes, and went back to his resting place. As soon as he was out of earshot, they continued whispering.

"When are you going to tell the others?" Bilbo hissed. Thorin exchanged an uneasy glance with Dwalin.

"Tonight, I think." he said. "I'll organise a meeting with all the senior members of the Company."

"Sounds good to me." Bilbo stuck his thumbs up, and ran off to wake Fili and Kili.

"I wish I was sitting with them," Kili said as he cast a wistful glance at the older dwarves who were sitting in a circle a few arm lengths away, chatting quietly. Ori placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

A short while after they had begun resting after a long day of scrambling up hills, Thorin had stuck true to his word and called all the senior dwarves in the Company for a meeting. Oin, Gloin, Balin, Dwalin and Dori had all responded almost immediately. Even Bifur had been invited to this meeting. The ones left were Fili, Kili, Bofur, Nori, Bombur and Bilbo. They all kept shooting longing looks at the other dwarves' backs.

"Why couldn't we come?" Nori crushed some leaves on his fist.

Fili shredded some bark with one of his knives. "Maybe its some kind of serious matter."

"Yes, but they could've at least told us what they were discussing." Bofur blew out a smoke ring and began chewing thoughtfully on his pipe's mouthpiece.

"I know what they're discussing." Briefly, Bilbo told the dwarves the conversation he had in the morning. They listened, wide-eyed.

"So they are talking about the secret rations," Ori said. "But why didn't they tell you?" Bilbo shrugged.

"'Cause I'm not trusted, apparently," Bilbo replied bitterly.

"He trusts Bifur," Ori pointed out.

"Bifur was a tactician before he took tha' axe to his head," Bofur replied. "However meddled his brain may be, his advice is valuable."

"Thorin always distrusts strangers anyway," Nori said. "Took him quite a long time to trust _me_."

"How _did_ he meet you anyway? In fact, how did he meet all of you?"

"I'll start," Nori said. "So it was a fine, sunny day…" And as he told the story, the others could visualise it in their minds.

_Nori tossed the golden coin up and down in his hand as he leaned on the wooden beams that supported the small stall, which was lined with wooden toys. He was so bored._

_"Cheer up!" The dwarf behind the stall spoke. He had an odd-shaped hat and a twinkle in his eye. He was whittling another toy as he spoke, "The sun's shining, the birds are singing - it's a fine day today."_

_"You always were the optimistic one, Bofur," Nori commented. "Since we were young dwarrows."_

_"Aye an' we used to steal sausages from the butcher." Bofur let out a hearty laugh. "He still gives me the evil eye every time he spots me!"_

_Nori had to let out a small chuckle at that. He enjoyed those days, when they ran around and caused havoc in Ered Luin. Well... when he caused havoc and Bofur followed him. They first met when Bofur was travelling from Mori which had been overrun by orcs. They clicked immediately, even though their personalities were so different._

_"Oh look, it's Thorin!" Bofur exclaimed. He straightened his hat and tried to look as cheerful as possible which wasn't too hard. "I have ter introduce you guys."_

_Nori didn't really know much about the exiled King under the Mountain, only that he was…well…exiled .He also knew the story about the dragon and everything. He saw Thorin practically being dragged along by two dwarflings - one with flyaway brown hair and the other with golden hair. They were babbling to Thorin as they tugged his arms towards the stall._

_"Why, good morning Thorin! And to you, Fili and Kili," Nori assumed they were the dwarflings' names. "What brings you and your nephews here today?" Bofur asked._

_Thorin sighed. "Dis insisted that I bring the boys out for some fresh air. Plus, I wanted to get them a small treat, so I brought them here. Off you go boys," he addressed Fili and Kili. "You can choose whatever you want from Mister Bofur's stall."_

_With a squeal of delight, the brown haired dwarfling rushed to the stall and began picking up toys and playing with them. The blonde haired one followed a bit more slowly, as if he was trying to be mature. But he soon began enthusiastically picking up the toys and playing with them, just like his brother. Speaking of the brother, he noticed Nori standing in the shadow of the stall, and came to halt at his feet._

_"Who are you?" he squeaked, craning his neck to look up at Nori's face._

_"I forgot!" Bofur steered him from out of the shade and into the daylight. "This is Nori, Kili." _

_Kili fixed a piercing blue gaze on him. "Are you the brother of Dori?" he asked._

_"Yes," he replied simply. What had his meddlesome brother said about him?_

_"Fili! Kili! Why don't you come see this new toy I made?" Bofur's shout made them spin around. With more squeals of delight, Fili and Kili ran over to Bofur, who showed them how to operate the new raven toy he was holding in his hands._

_With his nephews out of earshot, Thorin began to speak. "Aren't you a thief?" he asked._

_"Did Dori tell you that?" Nori mumbled._

_To his surprise, Thorin shook his head. "Surprisingly, no. He mentioned no such thing. In fact, he never mentioned you at all. I just happen to be very good friends with Dwalin, who happens to be your jailer."_

_So Dori was too ashamed to say that he existed. But Thorin's words made him freeze. Dwalin was his friend? _

_"Are you going to report me?"_

_To his surprise again, he shook his head. "No. I think I might find you useful in the future-"_

_"Uncle Thorin!"_

_He was interrupted by Fili and Kili, who was holding a toy aloft in his hands. "Can we get this one?"_

_Nori had to hold back his gasp of shock. In Kili's hands was a wooden dragon, painted red. Its wings were outstretched, it's mouth carved in a permanent snarl. It's yellow, painted eye seemed to glare at Thorin._

_"Look Uncle!" Kili began moving a small lever on the side of the dragon's body. Immediately, the wings began moving with the motion of the lever. "It's flying!" He could see Bofur, standing behind Fili and Kili mouthing, "Sorry!"_

_"Just the one?" Thorin's voice was gentle. "Are you sure?"_

_"Yes!" they shouted happily._

_Thorin instantly withdrew a brown drawstring bag. It clinked with any golden coins, as he asked. "How much?"_

_Nori's fingers were itching to steal the bag, but he abstained himself._

_"Fifteen gold pieces," Bofur had noticed his fidgeting. "But nine for you and your nephews, Thorin. You need all the gold you can get."_

_Thorin thrust his hand inside the bag and took out a handful of gold pieces. Without counting them, Bofur pocketed them and waved goodbye._

_"Goodbye, Mister Bofur!" Fili shouted._

_"Goodbye, Mister Nori!" Nori was slightly taken back at Kili's farewell. He was waving frantically at him, so Nori gave him a small wave._

_Nori knew he could trust them and not because they were friends with Bofur, or because of the way he spoke to his nephews. No, it was because of the amount of money that Bofur was given. Even though Bofur didn't check, Nori knew how much Thorin had given him in one glance. Not nine, not fifteen, but twenty gold pieces._

There was silence around the campfire as the others stared at Nori with amazement and interest. Finally, Bofur broke the silence.

"Yer never tol' me!" he lightly punched Nori on the arm. "I was wondering tha' night why I had _eleven_ extra pieces!"

"Wow." Bilbo was speechless.

"I remember that!" Kili groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I was young and stupid then."

"You still kind of are," Fili smirked.

"How dare you?!" Kili launched himself at his brother and they began wrestling on the ground.

"Shush! Thorin's coming!" Ori warned. They heard footsteps coming up from behind them.

"I see you've been enjoying yourselves," Thorin stated. He had been listening to the end of the story a short distance away. Bilbo noticed the meeting had already broken.

"I didn't know you held me in such high regard," Thorin said to Nori, who simply bowed his head.

"Anyway, no doubt the hobbit told you what we were discussing." He fixed an amused stare on Bilbo, before he continued speaking. "And we have reached a decision."

Ori, Nori, Bofur, Bombur, Bilbo, Fili and Kili leaned forward with eager curiosity.

"We won't do anything about it yet, but we will be having _two_ dwarves do the night watch instead of one."

The dwarves looked at each other in confusion.

"I think it's a pretty good plan," Dwalin came up from behind Thorin.

"It may sound simple, but it's effective," Thorin added. "Now Bombur, we're hungry. We'll just have a simple soup tonight. It's too late to hunt for meat."

Dwalin stared at Thorin in disbelief and horror.

With help from Kili and Gloin, the soup was prepared in no time. All the wooden bowls had been laid out for them. As the dwarves and Bilbo quietly slurped their soup, Thorin assigned who was going to stay up.

"Balin, Bombur, you take the first watch. Then wake Oin and Nori for the second. I don't want any more supplies being stolen tonight." He narrowed his eyes at the dwarves, before going off to bed.

"He probably thinks it's one of us," Fili said as he enjoyed the soup. "Because none of us were invited."

Bilbo didn't reply. He was swirling the contents of his bowl with one of Bombur's wooden spoons. He wasn't that hungry tonight.

"I'm really tired!" Fili yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, me too," Bilbo was feeling quite fatigued. _Maybe it was all the walking we did_.

"Some of the others are feeling it too," Kili remarked. The other dwarves were yawning and went straight to bed as soon as they had given their empty bowls to Bombur. "Your yawns are catchy."

"Yep, I'm going to bed," Fili gave his wooden bowl to Kili. "Give this to Bombur, will you…" he mumbled. He was asleep within seconds.

"That's weird." Kili said as he stacked his and Fili's bowl. "I can take yours too, Bilbo. You look practically asleep!"

He was right. The only thing Bilbo wanted to do was sleep. "Thanks Kili." He gave his half empty bowl to the dwarf, and crawled underneath his blankets.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome! Thanks to NJ7009 for beta-ing (if that's a word) this chapter for me. Yes, I liked your edits, and I will send you more chapters in the future :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I've been so stressed about school lately, exams, numerous projects, orals, lost sport bags...**

**Who needs sport anyway, when you have fanfiction :)**

**Anyway, carry on!**

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Bilbo was surprised to see that he was the first to wake up, even though it was already past dawn and the sun was quite high in the sky. He rubbed his eyes groggily and looked around in surprise. All the other dwarves were lying on their sides or backs, snoring rather loudly. Even Oin and Nori were sleeping, which was weird, as they were _meant to be on watch_.

"Hey," Bilbo went over to Oin and gently shook his shoulder. "Wake up!" The old dwarf kept on snoring as if nothing happened... _Okay…_ Bilbo went over to Nori next and shook his shoulder a bit harder than Oin's. "Wake up!" He said loudly.

"Wha…" The dwarf mumbled without opening his eyes. "I was having a good dream then... about gold…"

"Yeah, but you weren't meant to be sleeping in the first place," Bilbo said grimly.

Nori's eyes flew open. "Oh no! I was meant to be keeping watch!" He cast a sideways glance at Bilbo. "No one saw, did they?"

Bilbo shook his head. "Oin fell asleep too."

Nori stretched his arms out and looked a little confused. "I don't remember falling asleep though. I just remember Bombur waking me up for my shift, and then…" He waved his arms. "Nothing."

"The other dwarves are sleeping too," added Bilbo. "And it's well past sun high."

"We best wake them up."

Bilbo went to wake up Oin as Nori went to wake up the others. It was quite hard to wake up the old dwarf, as he was hard of hearing. After a few shoulder shakes and finally a weak punch in the arm, the old dwarf was raring to go. Bilbo stuck his thumbs up and went to help Nori, who had already woken up Gloin and Bifur.

"My head hurts~" Fili moaned drowsily as Bilbo shook his shoulder. He didn't open his eyes. "I don't want to get up, Uncle."

"Well, too bad, because I'm not your uncle!" Bilbo retorted in response.

Fili's eyes flew open immediately as he turned to stare at Bilbo, slowly blushing. "Oh…"

Finally, after a little while, Nori and Bilbo had succeeded in waking up all the dwarves. However, there was one small problem…

"Where is Balin and Bombur?" Bilbo asked.

"And where is Kili?" Fili added.

"Dwalin, Fili, Gloin, Bilbo, Dori; come with me."

Thorin's movements were sluggish and he slurred a bit, like his tongue was lazy, as they prepared to launch the search party. The rest of the dwarves weren't feeling too lively either, most of them slouching and falling asleep on occasion against trees or the mountain wall.

"We need to find them!" The heir of Erebor commanded. Thorin's legs collapsed beneath him, like they were too tired to support his weight. Oin rushed over immediately, but not before tripping on a small pebble.

"We'll continue without you for now," Dwalin said anxiously and lead the small group into the woods.

"Balin!"

"Kili!"

"Bombur!"

They called out the missing dwarves' names, but to no avail.

"Don't you think this is a bit strange?" Bilbo asked Fili. He nodded.

"Yeah. Three dwarves are missing and most of the Company are acting like they drank too much ale. It's more than just 'a bit' strange."

"Do you think someone drugged the soup last night?"

Fili shrugged. "What else could've happened?"

"Quit your yapping!" Dori's eyelids were slightly drooping as he spoke. "We need to find the others and get to the bottom of this..." He closed his eyes briefly, but then snapped them open again. "We need to find them." He raced off after Dwalin, who was motioning them to come quickly.

"Over here!" he was ordering hoarsely. They came over to find Balin trussed up in many ropes. He was hanging upside-down from a low branch and dozing. He hadn't heard the shouts.

"Quickly, untie him!" They began undoing the ropes, but soon resorted to using knives as they couldn't concentrate properly. At last, the final bond was cut, and the sleeping Balin plummeted to the ground.

"Oops," Dwalin muttered as Balin shouted in shock, "OW!" The now-awake dwarf brushed the golden-red leaves from his crimson robes and looked around in wonder. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

Dori placed a hand on his shoulder. "We found you here, hanging upside down from that branch, sleeping."

"What do you remember from last night?" Fili asked.

Balin looked at him with disbelief. "Not much lad, I'm afraid. The only thing I remember was waking Oin up for his watch and then going to sleep. Why, what's happened?"

Dwalin and Dori exchanged a knowing look. "We woke up to find you, Bombur and Kili missing, my brother," Dwalin said. "There's a theory that some kind of drug was put into the soup we ate last night to make us sleep. After we awoke, we were sent to find you and the others."

"How troublesome..." Balin mumbled thoughtfully. "Brother, will you show me the way back to the camp?" Dwalin nodded and they both walked off in the opposite direction. Dori sighed.

"I think it's better if we split up or something," he suggested. "I'll go look for Kili and you two look for Bombur." Fili opened his mouth to object, but Bilbo was already dragging him away.

They found Bombur tied to a tree like Balin, though it was a much bigger tree. Learning their lesson from before, they woke him up first and then sawed through the ropes with one of Fili's many knives.

"Wha-!?" Bombur yelled as he opened his eyes. "What am I doing here!?"

"You'll find out later," Bilbo said trough gritted teeth as he severed a rope tying the dwarf to the tree.

"I sort of wish you hadn't woken me up," Bombur stared wistfully into the distance. "I was having a good dream about some cheese…"

Remembering what he had seen at Bag End, Bilbo shuddered. They released Bombur, who fell face first onto the ground.

"So what do you remember from last night?" Fili asked, as he held out a hand for Bombur to take.

"Just waking Nori up, I suppose..." he said as he pulled himself up. "Why?"

They gave him an abridged version of what had happened this morning and their suspicions.

"So it was in the soup?" Bombur rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I knew there was something wrong with it. I have this power that allows me to sense if there's something wrong with the food I'm serving…"

Bilbo and Fili had neither the time nor patience to listen to Bombur talk about his sixth sense, so they cut him off mid talk and told him to keep up with them as they raced back to camp. However, before they did, Bilbo noticed something snagged on a branch on the same tree that Bombur was tied to. He quickly picked it up and slipped it into his pocket.

_They don't need to know just yet_.

They burst into the clearing to find Kili crouching down next to the ashes of last night's fire. Fili marched over to him and started to violently shake his shoulders.

"Fili, there's no need t-"Bilbo started.

"Kili, you idiot!" he shouted, furious and relieved at the same time. He pulled his brother into a hug. "I thought you had died!"

"Gerroff! You're suffocating me!" Kili wriggled out of Fili's arms. "I couldn't sleep, so I went out hunting for breakfast while you all slept like babes. Here!" He held up two small, brown rabbits. They dangled limply from his hand as he spoke. "Enough for breakfast and dinner!"

Bilbo left the brothers to talk in peace and went over to Oin, who was crouching next to a resting Ori and examining him.

"My head really hurts," The young dwarf was complaining. "And I feel really tired."

"Hello Oin!" Bilbo greeted the healer.

"Master Baggins," Oin stood up and adjusted his hearing horn. "I think I have found the source of the dizziness and drowsiness."

Bilbo leaned forward eagerly.

"I've been studying the dwarves and I believe the plant that has been used is valerian."

_Valerian?_ "What's that?"

"It's a plant identifiable by its sweet-smelling pink and white flowers," Oin explained. "The root's used as a sedative, to help people who can't sleep. Dwarves that eat a lot of it are usually very tired and sluggish for at least 24 hours."

"But how do you know it's that plant?"

"I smelt it in their breath. I also managed to track down a patch of valerian not far from here. Some of the plants had been dug up and the stems cut from the roots."

"So, what do you suggest as an antidote?" Bilbo looked around at the dwarves, most of who were lying on their backs or sitting down.

Oin waved a careless hand. "I told them to sleep it off. Thorin especially."

They turned to see the normally alert dwarf collapsed in a heap next to Dwalin, who was staring at nothing.

"His eyes are extremely unfocused," Oin explained. "And his movement is lethargic."

"Are we going to make for the MistyMountains today?" Bilbo asked.

Oin shook his head, "Like I said, they need to sleep it off." He walked off to check Bifur.

Bilbo headed back to Fili and Kili, who were talking to each other as they sat on a log. As Bilbo drew near, he could hear snippets of their conversation.

"…So this rabbit was chewing some grass when I saw it," Kili was saying. "It had its back turned to me, so it didn't notice when I slowly drew back the bow string and let that arrow fly into its- oh, hey Bilbo."

Fili looked up at the sound of Bilbo approaching. The hobbit couldn't hold back an audible gasp of shock when he saw the blonde dwarf had purple rings around his eyes.

"Ummm…shouldn't you be sleeping, Fili?" he asked tentatively.

He waved a hand. "It's tempting, but I need to hear the end of this story first!"

"Oh no, you don't." Kili stood up. "I can tell you haven't been listening."

"But-"

"No buts, Fee."

"Oh, fine!" Fili heaved himself up, and went a few feet, before crumpling on the ground. A few moments later, he was snoring.

"You know, that dwarf is so stubborn when it comes to me." Kili shook his head in mock despair.

"Anyway, Kili, I found something when Fili and I were hunting for Bombur..." Bilbo dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Yes?" Kili looked at him doubtfully.

"It was... ummm…" Bilbo tried to force the words out, but he couldn't. Kili looked expectantly at him.

"Spit it out!" he said. Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Kili!" Oin said crossly. "Why haven't you seen me yet? You had a whole bowlful of that soup!" Without further ado, he grabbed Kili by the arm and began roughly dragging him across the clearing, ignoring Kili's shouts of protest.

"I can't hear you, laddie. I don't have my hearing horn!" Oin replied.

Bilbo was relieved that Oin had taken him away just in time.

_It can't be him. It cannot!_ He told himself. But the evidence was all against him…

What he had found on that branch was a lock of Kili's hair.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome! **

**The suspense builds!**


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG THE HOBBIT EXTENDED EDITION IS OUT! I AM SUFFERING!**

**If anyone does want to watch them, go look on youtube or tumblr. So far, I've seen a few new clips from Rivendell (including one where Bofur sings a new song :) ) and there's a scene with Baby!Bilbo it's so cute!**

**Enjoy!**

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When Bilbo woke up the next morning, everyone was already up. He felt guilty for waking up last, but at least it meant the dwarves were feeling better.

"Bilbo!"

He turned his head to see Kili bouncing towards him, a bowl of stew in his hand. He shoved it under Bilbo's nose.

"You're awake at last!" He said. "Bombur made breakfast ages ago, but I saved some for you." He rattled the bowl. "I went hunting this morning again and I brought back a few squirrels."

Bilbo took the still-warm bowl in his hands and took a tentative, small sip.

"It's good!" He mumbled as he took another sip.

"Yeah, Bombur did a pretty good job today. Well, better than usual. Drink up; we're moving today."

"Really?" Bilbo put the bowl down. "Aren't the others still recovering from yesterday?"

"Not really," Kili replied. "They are mostly fine, but there are lots and lots of headaches."

"I see _you're_ up, Bilbo." Fili walked over to them, rubbing his head. "I've just been redoing my braids down by the river. On the subject of headaches, I've got a small headache from yesterday, but it's nothing much. Others are worse than I."

"Well, at least you're getting better," Bilbo sympathised. He had not received a headache from the previous day. "Plus, we can cover more distance today."

"Bilbo!" Oin walked up to him. "How are you this fine morning?"

He couldn't really agree with the dwarf. The sky was grey and cloudy. The sun was hidden behind a particularly big, dark cloud. Only a small ray had managed to penetrate the dark wall.

"Good, thank you Oin." He bowed respectfully to the healer, still keeping one eye on the weather. "Is there anything you wish of me?"

"Yes, to check you," Oin replied. He turned to Fili and Kili and gestured as he said, "Shoo, you young rascals."

Looking affronted, Fili and Kili retreated and walked away, watching from a distance.

"I feel fine, Oin," Bilbo assured as Oin inspected him. "Really, I do."

"It is my job to be worried about my patients," Oin stated. "So, you don't have a headache? Drowsiness?"

Bilbo shook his head.

"Well, tell me if you do. I do not know what effect valerian has on a hobbit. And also," Oin leaned next to him and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I found something yesterday, when I found that patch of accursed valerian. I found…a lock of Kili's hair."

Bilbo stared at him in shock. "But I found that too! On the tree that Bombur was tied to!"

"I needed to tell you, so you could keep an eye on him."

"But why me!? Why not Fili or Thorin?"

"Because..." He seemed to struggle for an answer. "Anyway, watch him. I'll tell Thorin when I think he can handle it."

Suddenly, they heard a warg howl in the distance. Bilbo instantly reached for his sword. It was steadily glowing brighter and brighter.

"Ummm…hey!" He shouted, waving the sword around. The others seemed to understand. They began reaching for their weapons as they swept a gaze over the surrounding forest.

"We best get a move on then." Thorin said uneasily, his eyes darting left and right. "They might ambush u-"

A warg burst from the bushes, bowling him over. Uttering a fierce battle cry, Dwalin grabbed one of his war hammers and smashed it into the creature's skull, killing it almost instantly. Thorin pushed the corpse off him and grabbed his sword.

Suddenly, a wave of orcs swarmed into the clearing. They hissed and threw themselves on top of the dwarves who answered by shouting furiously. Bilbo's instinct was to run, but he forced himself to stay planted firmly on his feet.

_Don't be a coward, Bilbo!_

An orc seized him from behind. Quickly, Bilbo put all the strength he could muster into his arm and thrust the sword behind him as hard as he could. There was a choking noise as the sword hit its target and there was a thud as the dead orc hit the ground. Bilbo didn't turn to look.

Another orc had locked eyes with him.

His sword met the orc's with a loud _clang_.

_Keep the weight of your body on the balls of your feet_.

_Thanks Fili!_ Bilbo parried another blow from the orc, who was getting angrier and angrier as his sword bounced off Bilbo's.

_An angry warrior is frustrated and not concentrating. An angry warrior is a careless warrior_.

Bilbo saw an opening and seized his chance. Quickly, he stabbed the sword into the orc's ribs. It screeched and fled.

"Nice letter opener!" Balin shouted to him as he knocked an orc off his feet and stabbed it in the chest.

"Nine!"

Bilbo turned to see Fili and Kili fighting side-by-side. Kili was effortlessly shooting the orcs, while Fili defended him. _They are quite the fighting duo_.

"I've killed twelve, brother!" Kili was yelling, with a smile on his face. "You have to do better!"

Kili's face suddenly dropped when his hands groped over the space where he'd reach for his arrows. With a grimace, he reached for his sword. He didn't notice the orc lunging at him from behind.

"NO!" Quick as a flash, Bilbo threw himself onto the orc's back. As a shocked Kili watched, he began stabbing it with all his might; over and over again until it flopped on the dirt floor, dead.

"Thanks!" Kili kicked the dead orc away. "I'll go search for more arrows."

He wasn't the only dwarf in trouble because his weapons had gotten stolen. Nori had resorted to using some of Fili's knives because his own knives were gone.

The tide began to turn. The orcs that didn't flee were killed. As the last orc was retreating, he spat out an insult in orc tongue.

"_Undur Kurv!_ You will all drown in blood, like that traitor in your midst!"

"Go back to where you came from, filth!" Thorin said. "Slink back into the hole whence you came!"

The orc shot one last, long glare full of hate over his shoulder and raced away through the forest. There was a _swish_, and an arrow impaled itself into its back and it fell face first into the ground. It didn't get up. Bilbo turned to see Kili lowering his bow, his hands shaking and his face pale. The other dwarves were silent as they recounted in their minds what had just happened.

"_Du Belkar! Du Belkar!_" Thorin shouted, breaking the silence. The other dwarves joined in, either shouting along with him or laughing.

"That was a pretty good fight!" Fili walked over to Bilbo, Kili walking alongside him. "I saw you fighting; you were pretty good! I just need to teach you a few more sword tricks. How many did you kill anyway?"

Bilbo puffed out his chest with pride. "Twenty," he replied proudly.

"Hmmm!" Kili spoke for the first time after shooting the orc. "Not bad for a first timer! I myself killed twenty six."

"I'm afraid I'll have to ruin your short moment of sweet success," Fili said. He had a devious grin on his face. "Because I killed twenty seven."

Kili launched himself at his brother and they began wrestling on the ground, like they did countless times on the journey. Laughing as they did so.

"LADS!"

Thorin's bellow made them stand up as straight as a twig. _I wish I had that kind of authority… _Bilbo thought_._

"Stop playing in the dirt!" Thorin ordered. "Come! We must discuss! And bring the hobbit!" He flung the last few words behind his shoulder.

_Am I a dog or something?_ He followed Fili and Kili to where Thorin was sitting with the other dwarves. Once they had sat down, Thorin began talking.

"There is an urgent matter we must discuss."

"Yes!" Kili agreed. "I have no arrows left!"

"Kili…" Thorin face palmed.

"I agree." Balin said gravelly as if Kili hadn't talked."Not often do orcs manage to stumble randomly on a camp of dwarves."

"And the words that the fleeing orc said," Thorin said seriously. "_You will all drown in blood, like…like_…"

"_The traitor in your midst_," Balin finished Thorin's sentence sadly.

There was silence throughout the group, as they looked at one another. Then Gloin spoke:

"It means there's a lying traitor sitting here! Amongst us!"

"But who would it be?" Dori asked. "We have all proved ourselves many times over. Today was just an example."

"Seems fair," Fili murmured to Bilbo as the others agreed.

"However, the evidence is telling us something else," Balin argued. "The second day after we have left Rivendell - At least one possession had gone missing from each of us. The next day - the rations are stolen. Yesterday - a sedative's put into our dinner and two dwarves went missing!" He exchanged a knowing glance with Bombur before continuing. "And today - an orc pack attacks us. There is clearly enough proof to show that there is a traitor in our midst!"

They began arguing amongst themselves, trying to decide who was the traitor.

"_Shazara!_" Thorin roared and they fell silent immediately. "Why do you sit arguing among yourselves? The traitor must be feeling clever, to stir hostility amongst yourselves!"

"It could also be par' of his aim!" Bofur proclaimed. "To make us distrust each other! To even think of our best friends as enemies!" Bilbo did not miss the look that was exchanged between him and Nori.

"So, let's not waste time arguing," Dwalin said gruffly. "The traitor will have to reveal himself soon! The ones that are loyal won't have to hide."

"Simple but complicated at the same time," Nori said. "Who wants to speak first?"

You could've heard a pin drop in the clearing, with the sudden drop of noise. Bilbo caught Oin's eye. _Should we tell them?_

Finally, someone stood up. To Bilbo's surprise, it was Ori. He was holding a small wooden mug in his hands as he spoke.

"I-I-I-I-I think I k-k-know who i-i-it is..." he stuttered. Only a few could understand him, judging by the reaction of the Company.

"Speak clearer lad!" Dwalin growled.

"I think I know who it is," Ori said more confidently as he played with the mug in his hands. The dwarves leaned forward keenly.

"Well?" Bofur said.

"Spit it out!" Dori said.

"Hush, let the lad speak," Thorin commanded and he turned back to Ori. "Well?" he asked quietly.

"Well…I…think… it was…" Suddenly, the dwarf swayed on the spot.

"It was-" He manages to shout before he fell, slightly frothing at the mouth. The mug dropped from his hands and out oozed a liquid mixed with some crushed leaves in it.

"Poison!" Oin gasped, before rushing over to the writhing dwarf. Quickly, he shoved a plant into his mouth. "Yarrow," he explained to the frightened dwarves. "It'll make him sick and hopefully, he'll vomit the poison out of his system. I suggest everybody to stand back." The dwarves made a wide berth around Ori and Oin, as they stared wide-eyed at the horrific scene in front of them.

_Oh please don't let Ori die!_

Suddenly, Ori vomited. His body was heaving as he did so and Oin patted him on the back. The last of the poisonous leaves came out of his mouth, mixed in with the vomit. He coughed, gasping for air. Then he slumped back to the ground and fainted.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**

**I want you all to suffer! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I feel utterly stupid...**

**Do you guys remember from the previous chapter, when the orc said _"Undur Kurv!" _before getting pwned by Kili? I just realised: I forgot to translate it for you!**

**In orcish, it means "Fat Whore". I was looking up orc insults, and this one sounded the least silliest (there was one that meant "No sack")**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you think he's going to get better?"

Night had fallen and Oin was still watching over the unconscious Ori. The Company sat a short distance away, anxiously peering over their shoulders to look at the still dwarf. Dori had taken to pacing around his brother's body, which was soon taken up by Bilbo.

"I'm not entirely sure." Kili cast a wary glance at Ori.

"Oin's a good healer," Fili tried to reassure them. "Most of his patients have lived and the ones that died…well…they couldn't be helped."

"Ori got most of the poison out of his system," Nori pointed out. Even though he wasn't pacing like his older brother, his worry was clearly shown in his face. "Oin's done plenty. There's not much more he can do now."

Bilbo started wondering what it would be like if he was in Oin's position. _Well, I'd be extremely stressed of course! Someone's life is in my hands!_

"What if Ori dies?" Bofur walked up to them, his brown eyes pools of sadness. "It would be a devastating blow to the Company."

"Yeah, who would be the scribe?" Kili shrugged. "Ori's the only one who can write both elvish and dwarvish speedily and neatly."

"That's not the only reason though," Fili said. "Ori is a very valuable asset to the Company too."

"Everyone! Gather 'round." Thorin shouted. They all went to huddle around the fire that Gloin had just made. Only Oin stayed where he was, watching over Ori.

When they had all gathered, Thorin began. "We must do something about this!"

"I agree," Balin said. "This time, the action of this…traitor…has almost taken the life of a fellow member of the Company."

"Then we must do something!" Dwalin pounded a rock to smithereens with his fist.

"And we shall," Thorin said. "That is why I have gathered everyone here. If anyone has any idea about who this traitor is, please speak up now."

This time, Bilbo wasted no time. His head throbbing, he stood up and addressed them. "I have a suspicion of who it is."

The dwarves leaned forward impatiently.

"Well me an- just me…ummm…" The edge of his vision became blurred and then his headache sharpened. "I can't see!" he shouted, blundering around.

"Oin!" Bilbo heard Thorin shout before his vision went black and he sank into unconsciousness.

Bilbo woke up to find himself under some blankets with Oin watching him anxiously.

"I told you to tell me if you had a headache," The healer accused him.

The hobbit grumbled as he struggled to sit up. "I thought it was nothing to worry about. Wait, aren't you meant to be looking after Ori?"

Oin waved a hand. "He's back to normal. Unconscious, yes, but his breathing is regular and heartbeat steady. I sent his fretful brother to watch him as I tended to you. Dwarves I can manage, but a hobbit…" He shook his head. "I do not know what effects plants can have on a hobbit."

Bilbo turned his head to look at Dori who was patting the blankets that were put over Ori.

"How long was I out?" Bilbo asked.

"Not long, but all the dwarves have gone to sleep. Dori and I are taking the first watch. I had to tell him to sit down because he was annoying everyone else and they were all tired of his pacing."

"But aren't_ you_ tired?"

"A doctor will never rest until his patients are better."

"But I'm feeling fine," Bilbo told the apothecary.

"You _were_ just unconscious," Oin argued. Bilbo could see that Oin was in desperate need of a rest. He'd been busy recently with the drug in the soup incident, Ori's poisoning and Bilbo falling unconscious. It was starting to take its toll on the old dwarf.

Bilbo smiled. "How about I call you if I feel worse?"

Oin seemed to take that into consideration. After a long moment of thinking, Oin stood up. "Fine, you win, but you _must_ call me." He walked off to sit back next to Ori and got comfortable.

Bilbo sat in bed for a long time, attempting to sleep but failing ultimately. "I need a walk," he told himself. He threw the blankets off his body and began to walk towards the cave entrance.

"Where are you going?" Oin called out.

"I'm going for a walk," Bilbo said. "I just need a bit of solitary time."

"But it's dangerous out there," Oin argued. "Remember that orc attack today? Who's going to protect you if the orcs ambush you?"

Balin sat up from his makeshift bed which he'd just been asleep in. "I think he will be able to manage," He told the healer. "He did well with his _letter_ _opener_ today." There was a twinkle in his eye as he used the name he had given Bilbo's sword. "Off you go, Master Baggins."

The hobbit gratefully nodded to the old dwarf and headed into the forest surrounding the camp. He had to admire how beautiful and tranquil it was during the night. The stars glittered in the sky as the warm, gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

_It's very calm and quiet_. _Like back in Rivendell. _

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes behind him. He quickly turned, the tip of his sword just touching the leaves. "Who is it?" he called out cautiously. _My sword isn't glowing, so it can't be an orc or goblin._

The leaves parted to reveal Bofur, his hands in the stance of surrender.

"Yer could take someone's eye out with tha'!" The dwarf said in his normally peppy tone.

Bilbo lowered his sword. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you."

"Seems fair." Bofur reached up to adjust his hat until he remembered that it was no longer there. His arms dropped back to his sides dejectedly. "Old habits die hard, I suppose. What are yer doin' out here?"

"I needed a bit of peace and quiet," Bilbo told him. "It is so peaceful out here."

"Indeed." The dwarf sat down on a log and motioned Bilbo to sit down as well. "The camp doesn't feel safe anymore with tha' traitor slinkin' around."

Bilbo sheathed his sword and sat down next to Bofur. "Then why are we in the woods, waiting to be ambushed?"

He threw back his head and laughed. "Good point. D'yer want ter have a smoke?"

"I left my pipe at Bag End," Bilbo said. "I _was_ in a bit of a hurry."

"Suit yourself." Bofur had already lit his pipe and he sat there, casually blowing smoke rings and watching them drift lazily into the air.

"So…" Bilbo didn't know what to say. "Who do you think the traitor is?"

Bofur froze. "I'm not sure, actually. I do have a few doubts but…" he trailed off.

"I do have a suspicion."

"Yer' were going to mention it before, right?"

"Yes," Bilbo said hurriedly. Taking a deep breath he said, "I think it's Ki-"

_RUSTLE_

He was cut off by the sound of a shaking bush. Bilbo unsheathed his sword. It was glowing blue. He and Bofur exchanged a scared look.

"I don't have my mattock," The dwarf hissed as he extinguished his pipe. "Can yo-"

The dwarf was cut off as an orc exploded from the bushes and grabbed him. They rolled off in a heap, yelling and cursing.

Another orc flew out of the bushes, this time, knocking into Bilbo. They wrestled on the ground for a heartbeat, before Bilbo managed to sink his sword into it's heart. As he pushed the stinking corpse off himself, another orc charged out of the bushes, a knife in it's hands.

_I hope Bofur is okay! _Bilbo parried a blow from the orc's knife before stabbing it in the abdomen. It let out a howl of pain before slumping to the ground. Bilbo held his sword out in front of him. The faint blue light his sword emitted allowed him to see only just a foot in front of him.

He lifted his sword up to inspect the trees. _I don't recognise this area_. The fighting had pushed him away from where he used to be. Now he was stuck; lost in the forest with nothing but a rotting orc corpse for company.

_Now the traitor can kill me_. He started to head back in the direction he thought he came from, using his faintly glowing blue sword as a lantern. The light began flickering.

_No no no, don't you die out on me! _He pleaded silently to the sword. It answered by going out completely.

_How convenient_. He sheathed his sword and stretched his hands out in front of him, trying to feel where the tree trunks were. As he did, he tripped over a trailing bramble, got whipped in the head by a low branch and stumbled over the orc he had killed earlier.

_Just my luck_.

Every crackle made him jump. Every now and then, a squirrel would run past his feet, startling him. He even saw glowing yellow eyes peering at him from a bush. Bilbo had his sword out in an instant until a fox delicately stepped out of the bush. It eyed the sword and then fled back into the forest.

Bilbo then decided to keep the sword out. His arm soon began to tire from the weight though and the sword, which was light in Bilbo's grip, suddenly became a dead weight. He wanted to put the sword back, but something could attack the hobbit any second.

Suddenly, he heard a moan. Bilbo turned towards the sound. It gradually became louder and formed into a plea for help.

"HELP!" _Bofur_.

"I'm coming!" Bilbo pushed blindly through the bushes, trying to pinpoint the sound. Bofur was grunting and he could hear the bushes being shaken.

"I'm coming! Just keep yelling so I can find you!"

"Help! I'm over here! He-" The forest abruptly became silent as Bilbo came crashing through the trees.

"Bofur!" He burst into an empty, small sandy clearing. The bushes growing around the edge of it had their branches broken. There were places where dirt had been thrown up and he could just make out a lone tree in the middle of the clearing. As he cautiously moved closer, he could see huge gouge marks cutting across the tree.

"Oh Bofur," he mourned as he ran his fingers over the marks. Crimson sap was dripping out of the scratches, as if the tree was bleeding. Then he tripped over something lying in the ground. Inches from his nose, he saw a matted piece of fabric covered in wool and sap. Then he realised with a start.

It was Bofur's hat - torn and dirty but still faintly recognisable. It lay next to the tree, as if it was acting like an ominous grave marker.

_The traitor!_ Bilbo sheathed his sword and bent down to pick up the hat, hoping to take it back to the camp so the others could mourn.

Unexpectedly, rough hands seized him from behind making him fall back. Bilbo got his sword out just in time to parry the blow from the knife that was about to slash his neck. It gleamed coldly in the moonlight as it was brought down. Bilbo hit it away and the traitor's hand closed around the hobbit's throat, cutting off his windpipe. Bilbo managed to twist the sword and slash it across the traitor's ribs. He howled and dropped Bilbo, clutching at his sides. His cold black eyes bore into Bilbo's.

"You'll regret this, _hobbit_!" The attacker yelled as he retreated back into the bushes.

"Bilbo!" He heard Oin's voice on the wind. Quickly, he grabbed the hat and fled to where Oin was shouting. He had recognised the voice of the traitor, even though it had lost its melodic lilt. The light of the dawn shone on the attacker's face and confirmed Bilbo's horrors.

The traitor wasn't Kili. It was Bofur.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**

**What did you think? Was it too predictable or what? I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey dudes! You're like...scaring me!**

**There will be a reason for why he's the traitor! Please don't ask anymore; you're making me feel intimidated! :O**

**Anyway, I watched Thor 2 yesterday :3**

**Just realised how hot Loki is.**

* * *

It was dawn when Bilbo finally reached the cave, clutching Bofur's hat in his hands. A twig had slapped his face and he had tripped over a rock, but he kept on going, not caring much for his injuries.

"Bilbo!" Oin was standing outside as he halted. The other dwarves were behind him, staring at the hobbit. They began to swarm out of the cave as Oin continued. "I have been calling your name for lifetimes! It's dawn and you've been wandering around the woods alone! Don't you remember who's out there? The traitor co-" He stopped mid-sentence and pointed at Bofur's hat. "What's that?"

Bilbo had to force these next words out, "B-B-B-ofur."

The other dwarves gasped as they recognised the object dangling limply from Bilbo's hand. Nori was the first to respond. He moaned and fell to the ground, his face buried in his hands. Dori and Ori - who were now awake but looked pale - tried to help him up, but Nori couldn't stand up. It was as if his knees couldn't support him.

Bombur looked at the ground, his head bowed in the position of mourning. Bifur was shaking as he stared at the hat. Both couldn't believe that their family was dead. Fili and Kili were staring, open mouthed, at the hat and Balin and Dwalin were bowing their heads too. Bilbo observed all of this and a pang of sadness flashed in his heart. Thorin collapsed onto a log.

"He is dead then," he said regretfully.

"Not exactly," Bilbo said carefully. Thirteen pairs of eyes glanced up at him, hope shining in them as a small glimmer. "Only the Bofur we know," Bilbo clarified. The hobbit then told the company what had happened to him in the forest; how Bofur had tried to kill him before running off after they were attacked by orcs. Disbelief was evident in the dwarves'' faces before the hope formerly there vanished.

"So Bofur is the traitor..." Thorin turned to stare off into the distance.

Balin sat next to Thorin on the log. "Who'd have thought it?"

"I thought I knew him," Thorin continued as if Balin hadn't spoken. "He was among those who I thought could be the traitor but he was a loyal friend. This is very unexpected."

During the story, Kili had sunken to the ground, biting his nails nervously as Fili patted him on the back. "He used to make toys for me," he remembered sadly.

"Were you going to tell us that before?" Dwalin asked gruffly.

Bilbo shook his head as he took a step back. "Actually, I was actually going to accuse Kili.

Kili looked up in surprise. "Why!?" He exclaimed, clearly offended at the news.

"All the evidence seemed to point in your direction."

"What evidence was there!?" he shouted indignantly.

"Okay," Bilbo stood up and began counting off his fingers. "So the drugged soup... you helped prepare it. All the bowls were laid out, so you could've easily picked the one without the valerian in it. It was evident when you went out hunting in the morning that you weren't affected by the valerian. Also, when Fili and I found Bombur, I saw a lock of your hair snagged on the branch of the tree he was being hung from. Oin also found-"

"Leave me out of this," Oin mumbled.

"-A lock of your hair," Bilbo continued as if he hadn't heard the healer. "Near a patch of valerian not far from the camp. On the day the wargs attacked, you also went hunting on that day. You could've easily sneaked out and told the orcs where we were.… and... that's about it," Bilbo finished lamely.

"And you never told us?" Dori looked at him with incredulity.

"Bofur could've easily made it look like Kili was the traitor," Fili defended. He (like Kili) was also offended by this suspicion against his brother. Kili placed his wooden pipe in his mouth and began to smoke to calm his nerves, watching as grey puffs of smoke lingered in the air.

"What about you, Ori?" Bilbo turned to the shy dwarf. "Who were you going to accuse?"

Ori shifted uncomfortably. "I…I actually knew it was Bofur."

"WHAT!?" Every pair of eyes turned to stare at Ori who shrank on the spot.

"I saw him shortly before the orcs attacked," he said. His voice had gone up a couple of decibels. "He was sneaking off into the bushes. There wasn't any time to tell anyone before those orcs attacked!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" Gloin hefted his axe aggressively. "Let's have pay back for what that traitor did." Some of the other dwarves murmured in agreement, instinctively reaching for their weapons.

"Wait!" Bombur shouted, his eyes wide with terror. "Think about this!" Bifur was furiously flourishing his hands next to him as he spoke in Ancient Dwarvish.

"Bombur and Bifur are right," Balin announced. "Bofur was family as well as a good friend before. We can't just kill him."

"How do we know they didn't help him in his acts?" Dori narrowed his eyes at Bombur, who took a step back. Bifur had balled his hands into fists. Some accusing agreements echoed from the dwarves.

"They are of his blood!" Gloin thrust his axe in Bombur's direction. "I say we get 'em." There were cheers as most of the dwarves picked up their weapons and began to stand...

"No!" Thorin suddenly leapt forward and thrust himself between Gloin's axe and Bombur. "If you wish to start picking fights against companions then you'll have to face me first," he challenged. "I refuse to allow such idiocy in this company and pointless deaths just because of relations."

Silence filled the area.

Reluctantly and after a few moments of consideration, Gloin lowered his axe; shame leaving a distinct look on his features. Thorin turned to the others.

"Fighting amongst each other isn't going to help," he pointed out. "Before, we didn't know who the traitor was. Now we do. So, why are we still fighting amongst each other?"

"And as I sometimes hate to admit," Balin added. "He's right." The dwarves nodded at their leader, a sign they weren't going to repeat their former act.

"Here are my orders." Thorin began. "I say we stay here for another two more days and nights, to see if he comes back and changes his mind."

This was met by a chorus of protests.

"He tried to kill us!" Dwalin shouted. "And you're going to let him come crawling back!?"

"Think about it!" Nori yelled over the top of the dwarves' complaints. "He might tell us who he's working for - what's his purpose for doing this!?"

The noise died away as the dwarves began murmuring their agreement.

"So it's settled," Thorin clasped his hands together. "We stay here for a while."

Dwalin and Gloin put their heads together and began muttering resentfully as the dwarves filed back into the cave.

"Bombur!" Bilbo raced over to the ginger dwarf. He turned and looked at Bilbo with surprise. Bilbo placed the hat in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Bombur," he apologised. "The hat's yours now since Bofur- " he hesitated on the dwarf's name.

Bombur placed a gentle hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "Thank you for not killing my brother," he smiled softly. He slowly walked away, sadly shaking his head. Bilbo watched him go.

"Hey Bilbo!" Kili shouldered his way through the dwarves to get to his comrade. "Want to go do some sword fighting?"

Bilbo was actually planning to sleep but after seeing what had just happened he knew he was going to need a distraction better than sleep.

"It would be a good experience for you," Fili came up from behind Kili. "I noticed you fighting the orcs two days ago. I see that you took my advice."

"And it'll be a distraction from-" Kili cut off mid-sentence as he awkwardly turned to stare into the trees, scratching his head. "From…what's going on right now."

Bilbo tried to hastily change the subject. "Bet I could beat you in a sword fight," he lightly teased.

Kili turned back to him. "You actually might! Although," he rubbed his chin. "Your technique was a bit sloppy, last time I checked." They laughed. "Let's get going."

"Okay, but wait one moment," Fili said. "Ori!"

"Yes?" The scribe's face was a mask of sadness as he tuned to them.

"Want to go train with us?"

Ori instantly perked up. "Okay!"

They headed off to the small clearing not far from their cave. Kili had found it the other morning when he had gone out hunting.

"I remember when you told me how you found this place," Fili was trying to be optimistic.

"How again?" Kili asked innocently.

"You were stumbling around in the dark as you were unskilfully dropping your bow." Ori replied. "And then you tripped over one of the many thorn bushes surrounding the clearing and landed face first into the sand."

Bilbo snorted when he heard this.

"That's not true!" Kili crossed his arms. "I was steadily holding onto my bow as I navigated my way through the dark when I happened to fall over a thorn bush and discover this miraculous place!" He waved at the trees surrounding the clearing. "Who told you that version?"

"Fili."

"Brother?" Kili stared at Fili in mock surprise. "Have you been spreading rumours about me?"

Fili shrugged with a devious smile on his face. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Sneak!" Fili disappeared under the writhing mass of Kili. They scuffled around in the sand for a few moments, but Fili managed to snake his way out of from under Kili and pin him down with his knees.

"Who's the sneak now?" Fili said, slightly breathless as Kili squirmed. He got off Kili, who stood up, spitting hair out of his mouth.

"Still you," Kili commented. "But we're wasting time now."

They all laughed and took out their weapons to train.

He watched the dwarves fight amongst themselves as he casually checked his reflection in the knife he had stolen from the brown haired dwarf. His eyes were black in the light of the sun. An angry, red wound stretched across his left cheek. His hair hung down below his shoulder in a matted, brown tangled mass. He thought about how he used to always plait his hair into three braids; two on the side and one down the back. He would always have his trusty old hat.

'Stop it!' He sharply told himself. 'That's not me anymore. The name Bofur doesn't belong to me anymore. I'm a new dwarf now. Free to do what I want.'

He remembered last night's encounter with Azog.

_"I am not pleased with you." Azog's voice had rumbled. "You have failed me."_

_"I am sorry," He crouched down even lower. "There wasn't any choice."_

_"How could you..." Azog's voice was quiet. "How could you let yourself be beaten by a hobbit? An unskilled fighter!" Pain blossomed in his cheek as he dodged a swipe from Azog's mace, only just getting scratched by the tip. He felt something warm run down his neck and he knew it was blood._

_"And, worse yet, you let him escape!" Azog was furious. "No doubt he is telling his petty dwarf friends."_

_"I will do better next time," he promised, crouching down again. "I will make sure anyone who crosses my path shall be killed."_

_"You must do better," Azog's voice had turned into a low purr. He began stroking his white warg. "You must, otherwise you will pay with your life."_

_"Yes," he agreed as he tentatively touched his new wound._

_"I want you to kill everyone in that camp," Azog ordered. "Gag Thorin Oakenshield and bind him in ropes. Do the same to his nephews," Azog gave him a cruel smile. "I want him to watch as their blood runs down the steps of Weathertop."_

He had been trapped for all eternity. Only recently, he realised that he could break free.

'I will not fail this time,' he thought. He quietly snuck out from his hiding place in the very prickly thorn bushes on the outskirts of the clearing and headed deep into the forest to his secret camp.

_Kalil shall be my new name_, he thought. _A very suitable name it is too._

* * *

**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**

**The meaning of 'Kalil' shall be revealed soon...unless you want to look it up.**


	8. Chapter 8

**DOS new sneak peek! So excited for the movie to come out!**

**And did I mention Martin is a BAMF sweetheart?**

**Carry on!**

* * *

_"We gather this evening to honour a certain dwarf. His name was Bofur."_

_The flames burned high into the sky as the dwarves and Bilbo stood around the fire, gazing unblinkingly into its orange and red depths, as Thorin's voice rang around the small clearing situated outside the cave._

After Bilbo, Kili, Fili and Ori came back from the sandy clearing, Thorin had ordered a vigil to be held in Bofur's memory... or the memory they had of him.

_"He was a much loved brother," Bombur spoke from next to Thorin. "As well as a cousin, friend and loving uncle to many nieces and nephews." He brought forth Bofur's hat, cleaned of its sap and brushed of its dirt and grime. He placed it just before the rocks surrounding the fire. Then, one by one, the dwarves went up to the hat and placed an object beside to it. Bombur himself placed Bofur's mattock next to the hat._

_"In this time, we present things had meaning to the dwarf," Thorin said. "Whether it be handcrafted or not."_

_Bilbo knew that this statement was being directed at him. He had no skill in terms of crafting. He fingered his chosen object nervously._

_I hope the others like it, he thought as he fidgeted. When it was his turn to present his gift he paced up to the hat, his head held high, and arranged his chosen object so that all the dwarves could see it._

_He heard a dwarf stifle a gasp behind him. He had placed white chrysanthemums on the hat. In the Shire, certain flowers had different meanings. This particular bunch was used commonly at funerals, as it symbolised mourning and suffering._

_He slowly went to stand next to Kili, who had brought up a wooden dog he had carved himself. Kili had crafted the dog from the memory of one of the toys Bofur had made for the brunette as a dwarfing. Bilbo felt hot, salty tears slide down his cheek._

_"Now, we sit vigil for the dwarf. Usually we do not sleep until the vigil is over, but in this time, we will allow an exception," Thorin announced. The dwarves sat down, intently watching the flames burn._

_"It's like we're at a funeral," Kili grumbled as he sat down._

_"Aren't we meant to be silent during the vigil?" Bilbo whispered back._

_"It's not a formal one since Bofur isn't dead," Fili stated from behind Kili. "That's why we're allowed to talk and go to sleep whenever we want."_

_"Then why are we having all of…this?" Bilbo waved a hand at Bofur's hat and the objects around it._

_"Well… because… he is sort of dead. The Bofur we know is dead. However, he isn't actually dead."_

_"I think this is all a ton of bull," Dwalin admitted as he sat down besides the blonde. The flicker of the fire sent eerie shadows dancing across his face. Bilbo was still scared of the huge dwarf, despite having travelled with him for a long time. "We're honouring a dead dwarf that isn't dead... who wanted to see us dead."_

_Kili shrugged. "Maybe your right, but it's a nice gesture for Bombur and Bifur." The group stared across the clearing to look at the cousins who were holding hands and staring at the orange flames before them. "They took it pretty hard."_

_"Nori too," Dwalin added. "I would've felt sorry for the bugger if I hadn't known him as a lying thief."_

_"Do you know what they're going to do with the stuff we made for Bofur?" Fili inquired._

_"Shouldn't you know?" Bilbo answered. Dwalin, Kili and Fili stared at the Baggins, who was thankful that the light of the fire concealed his blushing. "I-I mean…what would you usually do?" The hobbit stuttered._

_"Build a tomb," Kili said. "Put the body inside it with all the stuff that was offered. Oh! And the dead dwarf's weapons would be buried with the dead dwarf."_

_"But there isn't a tomb," Fili pointed at the fire for emphasis._

_"Well... Oh, I don't know! Maybe Bombur will carry it around in his pack or something," Kili huffed._

This conversation continued all night as they talked about funeral rites for dwarves and hobbits alike. They pointed out similarities and argued over differences. Bilbo couldn't remember it but he'd fallen asleep out of exhaustion. He woke up underneath his blankets. As he sat up and rubbed sleep from his eyes, he saw the dwarves who were still sitting around what was now ash and dying embers.

_I must've been the only one to fall asleep_. Guilt stabbed at the halfling's heart like a knife. As he watched one by one, the dwarves began rising, stretching their stiff limbs and yawning.

"The vigil is over," Thorin declared in a sombre voice. "You can all sleep now."

"Thank Mahal!" Kili walked over to Bilbo, his mouth stretched in a yawn. Fili was following closely behind. "Good morning Bilbo."

The hobbit felt extremely uncomfortable. "I was the only one to fall asleep," he mumbled guiltily.

"Don't worry about it," Fili patted him on the back. "You're not used to our ways. Plus, this was your first dwarf vigil."

"Fili had to punch me a few times," Kili gingerly touched his bruised arm. "So that I'd stay awake."

"You'd best see Oin for that," Bilbo sympathised.

"I'd best sleep!" Kili quickly bundled himself up in his blankets next to Bilbo. His heavy, even breaths told Bilbo that he'd fallen asleep. _That was fast_.

"You punched your brother?" Bilbo tutted the elder brother of the pair once Kili was off in the land of dreams. "Now he's blue and black with your bruises!"

Fili waved a hand. "We dwarves heal much quicker than you hobbits. He'll be fine."

Bilbo now knew how Thorin felt. "Off to bed now. You must be worn out from that vigil!"

"But-"

"No buts. You may be older than me, but I am much more mature."

Fili harrumphed as he arranged his blankets next to Kili. Bilbo could still hear him complaining as he drifted off to sleep.

"Well played, Master Hobbit."

Bilbo turned to see Thorin pacing towards him. Bilbo couldn't help feel a slight twinge of annoyance when Thorin addressed him.

"You know," he said slowly as the dwarf approached. "On all these days travelling side by side, facing danger together, you still fail to call me by my name."

"That's not important, _Master Hobbit_," Thorin dismissed as he sat down. "I just wished to say that I like the way you handled my nephews." He pointed his thumb at the sleeping brothers. "Hardly anyone can tell them what to do - myself included."

Bilbo shrugged. "Anyone could've done it." He began studying the ground, which had suddenly become very interesting.

"But you were the one that did... Anyway, did you know that I thought you were the traitor?"

Bilbo looked up, shock evident in his face. "Really?!" His response came out sharper than he intended.

"Yes," Thorin replied, unfazed. "Since I thought you were a no-good-"

"Hey!"

"-lazy, cowardly hobbit who couldn't be trusted." Thorin glanced up and stared at Bilbo in the eye. "And you did look rather suspicious at first."

"Excuse me?!"

"But I do trust you now. Just not enough to call you by your name, Master Baggins." The heir of Durin stood and slowly began to walk away, leaving Bilbo standing there. His brain didn't quite process what Thorin had said. Then he realised.

_He called me Master Baggins._

"Wait!" He stumbled after Thorin.

"Fili! Kili! Start hunting for game! Take Bilbo with you!"

Bilbo had watched the sun go across the sky and finally start to set behind the peaks of the Misty Mountains. The dwarves who were tired from the vigil had finally woken up. Thorin had given them duties immediately. If Bilbo had never known these dwarves, he would've assumed everything was normal. However, he wouldn't have assumed that now. The was a way the dwarves carried themselves as they walked around; sort of slumped and dejected, suggested they were still mourning the loss of a comrade.

Well…most of them.

"Come on, Bilbo!" Kili ushered as he began heading into the surrounding forest, where Fili was impatiently beckoning him.

Bilbo sighed and followed the brothers into the forest.

"So, what did you do while we all slept?" Kili was in the middle of carving an arrow shaft as they headed deeper into the forest. His head was bent as he carved in deep concentration.

"Ummm… shouldn't you be watching where you're going?" Bilbo asked.

As he said that, Kili swerved around a tree without so much as looking up from his work. "Nup."

"It's a dwarf thing," Fili explained. Bilbo, since he was looking at Fili, accidentally walked into a branch and fell on his back.

"OUCH!" he grumbled. A couple of annoyed birds fluttered out of the tree the branch was growing from, cawing loudly.

"Hey!" Kili said indignantly. "You probably just scared off all the game!"

"I guess manoeuvring is not a hobbit thing, is it?" Fili held out a hand which Bilbo took gratefully.

"Not in an age," Bilbo agreed.

They kept on walking through the darkening forest until Fili held out an arm, which Bilbo bumped into. With one finger on his lips, Fili gestured to what was in front of him.

Sitting there, a few bushes away, was a fluffy white rabbit. It slowly hopped as it delicately nibbled a blade of grass. A dying ray of sunlight beamed through the trees and perfectly illuminated the rabbit. It rubbed its ears with its paw as it looked around with big, dewy black eyes.

"Do we have to kill it?!" Bilbo whispered anxiously. "It's so cute!"

"Either it's killed or we starve," Kili murmured. He had already silently drawn back his bow and was aiming at the rabbit with a concentrated face. Bilbo couldn't turn away.

Suddenly, the rabbit's ears pricked up. Then with its pink nose quivering, it quickly scampered away, leaving a small puff of dust behind it.

"Bad luck!" Fili patted Kili on the shoulder. Kili lowered his bow.

"I didn't want to kill it anyway," he confessed. "Like Bilbo said, it was very cute."

Fili rolled his eyes.

All of a sudden, they heard the resounding sound of a twig snapping. A high animal cry echoed off the dark tree trunks.

"Probably just an unlucky squirrel or something," Fili said dismissively.

"You sure?" Bilbo looked around nervously. He had the uncanny feeling that someone was watching him. Or watching them.

"I agree with Bilbo," Kili whispered in agreement. "We're not alone."

"Rubbish! Of course we're not!" Fili scoffed. "There are tons of critters in these woods."

"No, idiot!" Kili whispered furiously. "I meant Bo-"

Suddenly, an indistinct shape dropped out of the tree in front of them and landed on the ground with a soft thump. He brushed the leaves off his leggings as he smiled at the trio.

"Hello there," Bofur said.

Bilbo ran a gaze over the dwarf. Living in the wild hadn't been too kind for the dwarf. His clothes were ripped and torn and a new scar stretched across his left cheek which was red and angry. A limp, white body hung from his hand. It was the rabbit they had spotted earlier! Its head twisted at a strange angle and it's white fur caked with flecks of drying blood. Yet, he grinned at the hobbit and the dwarves as if nothing had happened.

"My old friends!" He stretched his arms out in a hug. There was none of the usual warmth in his grin which Bofur used to hold. Kili recoiled as Bilbo stared at the rabbit's body in horror.

"You're no friend of ours!" Kili hissed.

"Go back to where you came from, traitor," Fili spat.

"Well, well…" Bofur's smile was instantly wiped off his face. He pulled his arms back and a manic glint entered his eyes. "If that's how you see it…"

Quick as a flash, he pulled out the very knife he had used to try and kill Bilbo. However, this time, he was aiming for-

"Kili!" Bilbo watched in horror as Fili threw himself between the knife and his little brother. The blade sank into his ribs. Blood blossomed from the wound like a ghastly flower.

Fili grinned weakly at Bilbo and Kili before he passed out, his hand over the place where the knife had sunken into his body. Kili caught him before he hit the floor. Gnashing his teeth in frustration, Bofur pulled out another knife and advanced towards the stunned Kili.

Suddenly, a large rock came flying out of the bushes and collided with Bofur's head. With a surprised squeak, his eyes rolled into the back into his head and he collapsed. A very familiar figure strode out from the growth, casually rubbing his hands together. Bilbo had never felt more relieved to see him.

"Let's drag this filth back to camp." Dwalin growled, cracking his knuckles, as he bent down to remove the knife from Fili's ribs.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**


	9. Chapter 9

**WHY EXAMS!?**

**As you probably gathered from the above statement, I have exams in 2 weeks :O**

**I might be a bit slow on updates, so bear with me guys.**

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"Are you sure you can't just carry him across your back?" Bilbo inquired, almost tripped over the trailing arm of the unconscious Bofur. Dwalin had refused to sling Bofur over one shoulder. Instead, he chose to drag him across the ground all the way back to the cave they were staying in. However, he had been quick to gently throw Fili over his shoulder and carry him. Kili, who was in shock, said nothing as they trudged along.

"The filth doesn't deserve it," Dwalin replied bitterly. He didn't turn around as he spoke. There was a small awkward silence before Bilbo spoke again.

"So tell me..." Bilbo stumbled over a branch and barely managed to catch himself before he hit the floor. "How did you find us so quickly?"

"Find you?" The back of Dwalin head shook from side to side. "I was… watching you."

"You mean you spied on us?" Kili spoke for the first time in a while. His tone was sour and accusing, causing Bilbo to cringe slightly. He glared at the tattoos at the back of Dwalin's head.

The warrior's shoulders shrugged. "Thorin sent me to watch you. We agreed that these woods weren't safe, since this filth..."-He shook Bofur's arm which was in his grip-"...was slinking around the trees."

"Then you should have come with us! You would have been more helpful if you had, " Kili mumbled darkly. He clearly blamed Dwalin for what happened to his brother, even though it wasn't his fault. _He feels that Dwalin could have done something to protect Fili since he'd been able to do something to help himself_, Bilbo thought.

Dwalin hesitated for a moment before replying, sounding quite abashed. "Should have thought that through…"

Kili huffed. "And I bet you were the one who scared the rabbit away too!"

Dwalin's ears turned red. "I was... sorry for stepping on that twig."

"You scared off our meal!" Kili's voice became louder and louder, going up decibels with every word. "If you were with us you could have saved Fili! We could still have a meal to eat tonight! You could've killed Bofur!"

"Could have killed whom?"

Balin came out from the shadows of the cave so he was in front of them. Bilbo didn't even realise they had reached their destination.

"Brother, I-" Balin stopped mid-sentence and pointed to Fili. "Is that...?"

"Fili," Dwalin finished his sentence. "And this is the lying traitor!" He kicked Bofur's body in front of him and he let out a small groan. The dwarf's body was covered in small cuts and bruises from being dragged across the forest floor, getting hit by stones and brambles in the process. "Fili was stabbed by this filth. Get Oin."

However, the healer was already hurrying out of the cave. He inspected Fili briefly, whom was still on Dwalin's shoulder.

"Bring him inside." Oin quickly urged Dwalin in who stepped into the cave without hesitation, bringing Bofur in behind him. Nobody made any movements to stop the dwarf from being dragged across the floor. "And you two as well."

Bilbo and Kili joined them inside, too tired and shocked to argue. Heads turned as they processed to the back of the cave and Thorin stood up when he saw them. Dwalin dumped Bofur's body onto the cave floor who landed in a heap on the ground, causing some shocked glances from the company. Directed by Oin, he placed Fili down on some blankets that Oin had quickly smoothed out for him. Then, they walked over to Thorin.

"Dwalin, what happened to Fili?" His voice was quiet as he addressed his friend. "And why is Bofur here?"

"He stabbed Fili in the ribs," Kili's voice wobbled uneasily as he answered in Dwalin's stead. "Dwalin came and rescued us."

"Life in isolation hasn't treated him well," Bilbo added.

"I suggest you both see Oin," Thorin's voice was gentle. "Get something for the shock." He then abruptly then turned to Dwalin, "Tell me everything." Once again, being too tired to argue, Bilbo and Kili headed over to Oin who was bandaging Fili up.

"Hello lads," he murmured without looking up from wrapping the bandage. "While you wait, you could help me with Fili."

"So what's the problem?" Bilbo crouched down next to Fili.

"Stabbed ribs as you have probably guessed," Oin explained. He finished wrapping the bandage and looked up. "The knife just missed internal organs. Fili is very lucky; if that knife was so much as a millimetre to the right it would have pierced Fili's heart."

"Where is that knife, anyway?" Kili asked.

He shrugged. "I assumed Dwalin had taken it out. I'll ask him later." He reached for leather bag and began rifling for herbs.

"Bofur!" Bombur abandoned the stew he was cooking over the fire and rushed over to the unconscious Bofur, kneeling down by his body. Bifur had stayed where he was, just simply staring at his cousin. Bilbo felt a prickle of unease.

"Bombur…" Gloin warned.

"Bofur!" Nori joined Bombur. At the sound of his name, Bofur began stirring. Kili took a step back, his eyes wide. His hand began reaching for the knife that hung on his belt. At the back of the cave, Thorin and Dwalin stopped talking and looked on. Dwalin took a step forward, cracking his knuckles, but Thorin placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering urgently into his friend's ear. Everyone except Oin and Fili had their eyes on Nori, Bombur and Bofur.

"Can you hear me?!" Nori shouted, grabbing Bofur's shoulders and not taking any notice of the reactions of the others. Bofur fixed an unsteady gaze on his.

"Nori?" he whispered.

"You're back!" Nori's voice was hoarse as he pulled his best friend into a crushing hug. Bilbo noticed something gleam in Bofur's hand as he put his arms around the dwarf...

"NORI!"

The dwarf turned to stare at Bilbo, confusion etched on his face.

Bofur's hand whipped out, catching Nori across the face. He howled in pain, putting a hand to his face as he staggered back. When he took it away, Bilbo saw that there was a cut stretching across his cheek, almost identical to the one Bofur had scarring his own face.

"Interesting." Bofur got to his feet, a knife glinting in his hand. Bombur backed off quickly.

_We should've disarmed him before we came here!_ Bilbo groaned inwardly.

"That swipe was aimed to take his eye out," Bofur spoke calmly to no one in particular. "If that meddlesome hobbit hadn't interfered, there would've been a one-eyed dwarf lying pathetically on the floor of this cave."

Nori just stared at his friend in horror as if he couldn't believe the words that had come out of Bofur's mouth.

"What is your business here?" Thorin stepped forward, his hands twitching as if he wanted his sword.

"Not much, Thorin son of Thrain." Bofur ran a finger over the blade of his knife. "I just want to kill you all!"

Dwalin came up behind Thorin. "Why do you address him by such a title. Only strangers call him by that name."

"Well…" Bofur looked casually at Thorin. "Maybe I am a stranger."

"You have known Thorin for many years and you call him a stranger?!" Balin's voice was sharp with disbelief.

"I only know him from tales," Bofur shrugged. "And the information my master told me."

"But what about all the things we did together?" Thorin gave no hint of emotion. "All those memories?"

"Memories?!" Bofur spat with scorn. "There are very few memories I can access about you, Thorin son of Thrain."

Thorin stepped away, shocked and taken aback by his former kin's words.

_What is he going on about?_ Bilbo wondered.

"Enough!" Gloin growled. "What devilry strikes your heart!?" He was grasping his axe, poised to swing it at his new enemy.

"None," Bofur replied simply. "My thoughts are my own, but enough talk..." He pointed his knife at Bilbo. "I will kill someone today."

A dwarf behind Bilbo gasped and took a step back. He couldn't identify who it was.

Bofur threw back his head and laughed coldly. "You should be happy to know that I took great consideration in choosing who would die first. I was thinking of killing this one."- He pointed his knife at Bombur who stared at his brother in shock - "The one who calls himself my brother!"

Bombur blinked, confusion seeping into his heart.

Bofur went on, twirling his knife skilfully. "Oh how I have loathed you, little brother," he hissed. "The female dwarrows at home always admired you for your beard!"

"It was not my fault, brother!" Bombur said desperately, taking that as the reason for Bofur's former words which had confused him so. "I did not know you felt that way!"

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Fortunately for you, I decided to kill the one most dangerous to me first, and you, my soft brother, do not fill my requirements. I've decided to kill the hobbit first!"

"Over my dead body." Kili went over and stood protectively in front of Bilbo, shielding him with outstretched arms. Bilbo was grateful for the support of his friend. "If you lay so much as a finger on any of us, you will be the one to die."

"You know, Kili son of Dis," Bofur checked his reflection in the knife. "My master gave me special orders not to kill you but I don't think he'd mind if I handed you over with a few cuts and bruises."

Then, without warning, he launched himself at the brunette. Kili had no time to react before a grey flash knocked Bofur off his path and threw him to the floor.

Nori tried to wriggle out from under Bofur as well as try to avoid the knife that was trying to stab him. "A little help!?" he managed to cry as the knife just missed his ear.

With a battle cry, Dwalin leapt onto Bofur's back and began to drag him off Nori. Bofur rounded on his new attacker which gave Nori the room to kick upwards into Bofur's stomach. The pain didn't seem to affect him as he began skilfully fighting both of them at once.

_He's invincible!_

Gloin threw himself into the fray, throwing punches at Bofur's ribs. Bilbo quickly noticed that they weren't using their weapons, probably so that they wouldn't hurt him.

"Enough!" Bofur managed to fling the dwarves off him. They landed on the floor, dazed.

"I came here to kill someone today!" he growled with ridicule in his tone. "And no one will be able to stop m-"

BANG

A loud sound echoed around the walls of the cave as Bofur was knocked out for the second time that day. He collapsed to reveal Bombur standing behind him, holding his frying pan aloft and a furious expression on his face.

"No one will die today..." he mumbled quietly.

There was a deadly silence which was broken as Bombur let go of the pan which came crashing down onto the floor. His knees buckled underneath him and he began weeping for the brother he had lost.

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**


	10. A pressing I want to ask you guys

**Hey readers.**

**Sorry to give you false hope and stuff about a new chapter, but there's a pressing question I really want to ask you guys.**

**I srsly need your opinions.**

**Sooo...do you guys approve of gay ships? Like Bagginshield (Thorin/Bilbo) and/or Dwori (Dwailn/Ori)? Cause I've got a new idea for a fanfic (yes, this one is ending soon) and I was just wondering.**

**I have exams this week, so I'll be studying like hell. I'm probably going to update only once in the next two weeks or something.**

**So please! I really want your opinions! Please say in a review or a PM if you have time. :)**

**BTW, I don't write about smut or people going to bed and stuff (shudder)**


	11. Chapter 10

**So in response to all your reviews to the chapter before...**

**I will not write a Thorin/Bilbo ship or a Dwalin/Ori ship (sorry Thilbo and Dwori shippers! :( ) because...that's just my policy. If someone doesn't like an idea, I'll change that idea until everyone agrees :)**

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"Bombur, get up!" Thorin said bluntly to dwarf on the floor. Bifur and Ori hurried over to help the fat dwarf to his feet as the leader continued on speaking. "Dwalin, Gloin, Dori - help me tie Bofur up. I want him secured and Nori; I'd suggest you see Oin. That's a nasty cut."

"That was some fight," Kili commented to the hobbit at his side. Bilbo nodded in agreement as they watched Bombur stand with the help of the others.

"I didn't know he could fight like that," he remarked. Bilbo knew that everyone was equally shocked by the extent of Bofur's fighting skill.

"Must've picked up a few tricks from his master."

The pair jumped as Thorin strode past, a bundle of thick ropes in his hands. "Come, we shall be having another meeting after we tie up Bofur."

"But shouldn't it only be for the senior members of the Company?" Kili asked

Thorin shook his head. "This concerns the whole Company now." He walked over to Dwalin and Gloin. Dwalin was already tying up the dwarf as Gloin checked his clothing for any hidden knives.

"Kili!" The pair now turned to where Oin was shouting for the brunette. He was still kneeling over Fili's body. Nori was standing a short way off, holding a soaked rag to his fresh scratch. "I suggest you come over. Your brother is waking."

"Fili!" Kili practically flew over to Fili's side and crouched down next to him. Bilbo followed a short way behind, zigzagging among the busy dwarves to reach Fili on the other side of the cave. Fili's eyes opened as soon as Bilbo reached him.

"Ow!" He groaned as he rested unfocused eyes on Kili. "Where are we?"

"Back in the cave, you idiot," Kili gently swatted Fili's arm fondly. "What were you thinking? Taking that knife for me."

"The knife?" the blonde murmured, clearly confused. Suddenly realisation hit him and his eyes focused. "Bofur!" He tried to sit up.

"Not so fast!" Oin said sharply as he lightly pushed Fili back onto the floor. He softly landed back onto the blankets. "You've just been stabbed in the ribs, boy! Bofur has been knocked out and is being tied up as we speak."

"What about Bilbo?" Fili asked frantically.

"Here!" Bilbo came from behind Kili. "None of us were hurt... besides you, that is."

"That reminds me." Oin stuck his hand inside his leather bag and pulled out a handful of green leaves. "This is tamarisk. I use this to treat shocked patients and complications made it difficult for me to give it to you earlier."

Kili took a leaf and put it in his mouth before he began to gingerly chew it. "Tastes like grass," he complained.

"What? Does that mean you've eaten grass before?" Bilbo took a leaf and was now munching it. The juices from the leaf made him feel a sense of serenity.

"What happened earlier?" Fili too was also eating a leaf as he spoke.

"After you got stabbed, Dwalin rescued us," Kili told his brother. "He knocked Bofur out and carried you both - well, he dragged Bofur - back to the cave. Bofur regained consciousness, tried to stab Nori, got knocked out again, and is now being restrained."

"It was strange," Bilbo continued from Kili. "He talked about having few memories with us, as if he couldn't remember who we were."

Fili shrugged. "Maybe he's got amnesia."

"He remembers some stuff," Kili disagreed. "But Bilbo's right - he's changed."

"Boys!" Bilbo heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Thorin staring down on him. The other dwarves were behind him as he spoke. "The meeting has commenced."

"Oh," Kili looked around. "Where?"

"Here." Thorin and the others sat down in a circle, positioned in such a way that Fili was part of it too. "Due to Fili's condition and Oin's refusal to leave his side, I've decided to hold it here so they can both listen."

"Now we have urgent matters to discuss," Balin leaned forward, wasting no time. "Bofur." A deadly silence filled the cave at the name before it was abruptly broken by the happy song of a starling perched on a tree outside.

"There is devilry at work here," Dwalin growled, cutting through the silence.

"We shouldn't have left Gandalf at Rivendell," Dori agreed. "He would've known what to do in this situation."

"Enough!" Thorin said sharply. "We have managed fine without the wizard so far."

"If fine means one of our own turning traitor against us," Dori retorted quickly. "Yeah, we are managing perfectly."

"Don't fight!" Ori's voice was squeaky as he yelled over the top of Dori. "We're talking about Bofur, not whose decision it was to leave Gandalf behind."

"I agree." Everyone turned to look at Nori who was chewing on some tamarisk as Oin applied a bandage to his face. "Something's happened to my best friend and I want to know what it is."

"Let's start off by what happened in the cave," Thorin began. "He said he couldn't remember us."

"And he also talked about a master," Balin added in. He was wringing his hands in anxiety. "It could be an orc, seeking revenge for Azog's demise all those years ago."

"Bolg, maybe?" Gloin asked. "He is Azog's son."

"I took care of him," Dwalin cracked his knuckles as he was reminded of the battle. "I severely wounded the monster. He couldn't recover from that."

"Then who?" Balin shook his head in despair.

"Let's just think about other things for now," Thorin said. His calm voice didn't match his terror-filled eyes. "I have never seen a fighting style like the one Bofur displayed earlier."

"Neither have I," Balin agreed. "That was not the fighting skill of a dwarf."

Bilbo shivered as he remembered the ferocity that Bofur had fought with.

"Have you ever seen it before now Bombur? Bifur?" Thorin asked the cousins. Bombur was currently chewing on a handful of tamarisk as Bifur comfortingly patted him on the back. Bilbo pitied Bombur with him being forced to knock out his own brother after hearing that he wanted to dead.

"No," Bombur mumbled in reply. Bifur paused to shake his head before resuming his comforting action.

"So he must've picked it up from his new master!" Gloin jabbed angrily at the ground with each word he spoke, sending up puffs of dust. Bilbo spluttered as some of the dust went into his mouth.

"I did see some dwarvish and orc characteristics in the way Bofur fought," Oin told them. "Maybe he's been taught some orc fighting styles and mixed them in with his dwarven style."

"Doesn't explain why he was unstoppable," Nori remarked. "When I was wrestling with him on the ground he fought with the strength of…well…three Dwalins!"

"And you'd know what that'd feel like," Dwalin muttered.

"It's true," Gloin acknowledged. "We could hardly keep him down and even then it took a blow to the head to finish him off."

"So something or someone must be tampering with Bofur," Thorin mused. "Removing his memories and giving him new found strength and fighting skill."

"And he must also be mad to think that the hobbit -" Dori began.

"BILBO! MY NAME… IS …BILBO!" Bilbo shouted, making everyone jump back in astonishment. He took a few, deep breaths to calm himself down.

"My name… is Bilbo," he repeated slowly. "Not 'the hobbit' or 'Master Hobbit' or 'Burglar' or 'Master Burglar!' Just Bilbo... or Master Baggins, if you wish."

"Anyway," Dori continued as though he wasn't just rudely interrupted. "Bofur must be mad to think that Bilbo was the most dangerous out of all of us!"

"Bilbo was the one to foil most of his plans, though," Kili stated. "And remember what Gandalf told us in Bag End? 'There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest' and 'he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself.'"

Realising the company were beginning to get off topic slightly, Thorin veered the company back in. "So, there is something tampering with Bofur!" Thorin pounded his fist in his hand. "Someone, or something, very powerful."

"Could it be that Necromancer that Gandalf was talking about?"

Every single pair of eyes in that cave locked onto Bilbo, sparkling with interest. He fell silent, intimidated by the stares.

"Go on!" Nori prompted.

"Remember when Gandalf met that Raddy-gust -"

"Radagast," Fili corrected.

"- Radagast - in the place where we found that troll hoard?" Bilbo finished.

"I remember," Thorin nodded. "The brown wizard hinted that a dark power was rising over Middle Earth."

"And in Rivendell, Gandalf went to that White Council with Elrond," Balin continued excitedly. "They could've been talking about that!"

"If only Gandalf was here to tell us, though," Dori stared wistfully into the distance.

"You're obsessed!" Nori snapped. "Trying so hard to please him all the time. I saw what you were doing in Bag End with the chamomile tea and red wine -"

"Enough!" Thorin boomed. Nori and Dori were now glaring daggers at each other. "Fighting won't make Bofur better."

Nori guiltily lowered his eyes and shifted in his seat as Dori glared for a heartbeat longer before turning to look at Thorin.

"Let's talk about what we have first," the heir of Erebor said.

"But how is this going to help us?"

Bilbo was shocked to see Fili glaring at Thorin. He was even more surprised to see that Thorin was not returning it. "Shouldn't we actually do something instead of sitting around, trying to think up fruitless theories?"

"When Bofur wakes up, we will interrogate him," Thorin said.

"He's not waking up fast enough," Fili countered sharply. "Can't we throw a pot of cold water over him or something?"

"You know we're in short supply of water at the moment, Fili," Thorin said condescendingly. Bilbo could see that Thorin was starting to get irritated with his older nephew if his tone didn't already prove that. "Plus -"

"- I wouldn't like it either."

Bilbo's head whipped around to the source of noise. Bofur was sitting up, bundled up in many ropes and shoved into a corner of the cave. The other dwarves turned around, gaping at the dwarf. Bilbo wondered how long he had been awake and how much he's heard.

"You know," he began. "It's easier and a lot more polite to just shake me awake."

Thorin turned back around and smiled grimly at the Company as he stood. "Let's go interrogate him."

Bilbo and Kili exchanged a glance with each other. "This will be a long, long day," Kili muttered to himself.

The dwarves followed their leader and gathered around the tied up Bofur, who was looking thoroughly bored. Fili came too, wincing slightly as Oin and Kili supported him. Bilbo watched anxiously as Kili and Oin set Fili down on some blankets that had been laid down earlier.

"Now remember! If you start feeling pain, tell me immediately," Oin instructed the blonde.

"Yes, yes," Fili waved Oin away. "I'll be fine."

"Plus, you have us!" Kili sat next to Fili and motioned Bilbo over. "If you are in any pain, we'll notice."

"Hush!" Thorin was pacing agitatedly as Bofur looked on.

"Could you hurry up?" he complained. "I don't have all day."

"But you do," Dori pointed at the ropes around his body. "You are tied up."

"Oh, whatever!" Bofur sighed. "How about I make a few jokes or something?"

"We did not come here to laugh at your stupid jokes!" Dwalin snapped, already irritated with the dwarf. "You are a lying, thieving murderer!"

"You don't have to put it like that," he said, mocking sadness.

"Enough." Everyone turned to looked at Thorin, who had raised his hand for silence. He lowered it as he crouched down beside Bofur.

"Bofur," he began.

Suddenly, Bofur's expression of boredom changed to one that resembled fury. "Don't call me that!" he roared.

Several members of the Company jumped back in surprise. Thorin, however, despite being the closest to Bofur, didn't flinch. "So what should I call you then?"

"Hmmm…" Bofur pretended to think. "Maybe…Kalil?"

There were a few reactions to the name. Thorin leaned away slightly as Dwalin and Dori's expression became one of pure disgust. Oin hissed as Gloin spat at Bofur.

"What does that mean?" Bilbo turned to Fili and Kili, who had their hands balled into fists.

"In Khuzdul, it means treacherous," Fili explained, not taking his eyes from the dwarf before him. "A very suitable name it is too, I might add."

"That's what I thought!" Kalil, overhearing Fili's comment, nodded in agreement.

"So… Kalil…" Thorin began, testing the name on his tongue carefully. "What was your purpose for coming here?"

"To kill everyone except you and your nephews," Kalil shrugged definatly. "I told you this already."

Bilbo suddenly felt uncomfortable. He had heard of only one being that wanted to harm the Line of Durin and he was believed to be dead.

"But why?" Thorin's voice mixed with his thoughts. "Why take our supplies? Drug our soup?"

"'cause it was fun."

"Really?" Thorin was growing more and more impatient, not believing the words coming out of his former comrade's mouth. "Why did you do it, Kalil?" He asked strictly.

"Now, now," Kalil smiled eerily; enjoying this interrogation game. "I might as well be revealing my master's plans to you if I answered truthfully."

"Forget it, Thorin," Bilbo heard Balin whisper in Thorin's ear. "He's not going to say anything."

"I have to try, Balin," Thorin whispered back. "I cannot lose hope."

"I want to ask a question," Dwalin said as went to stand behind his leader and friend. "What fighting skill was that earlier?"

"A combination of dwarvish and Orcish fighting styles," Kalil replied smugly.

"I knew it!" Bilbo heard Oin mutter to Dori, who nodded in agreement.

"What about your name?" Nori pushed his way through from the back of the dwarves surrounding the captive. "Why did you change it to Kalil?"

"Because that's me!" He shot back. "Do I have to repeat myself over and over again? You dwarves never listen."

"But you're not treacherous," Nori stated indignantly.

"Think about what you're saying..." Dwalin said through gritted teeth which the thief took little notice of.

"You're warm, funny, kind and good with children! You're good with everybody really."

"That's not me," Kalil bared his teeth. His black eyes flashed with rage. "That was Bofur!"

"But you are Bofur!" Nori argued, his voicing raising in pitch to match his companion's.

"Yes and no."

Bilbo lowered his eyebrows. What was he talking about?

"Bofur was the one you knew all those years ago. My name is Kalil! I am the representation of Bofur's dark thoughts and desires."

"So, like a -"

"Split personality?"

Kalil nodded and he coldly smiled. "You could say that."

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**Comments? Criticism? Both are welcome!**


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